THE 


LIFE 


MAJOR  GENERAL 


ANDREW  BURN, 


OF  THE  ROYAL  HARINESf. 


PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION. 

WILLIAM  3.  MARTIEN,  PUBLISHING  AOENT. 

1840. 


LIFE 


MAJ.  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN. 


EARLY    LIFE. 

Major  General  Andrew  Burn  was  accus- 
tomed to  keep  a  diary,  in  which  he  recorded 
the  principal  occurrences  of  his  life.  From 
this  document  the  present  memoir  has  been 
chiefly  selected.     He  says, — 

It  has  long  been  a  common  observation  with 
Christians,  that,  among  the  number  of  pious 
books  which  daily  teem  from  the  press,  few 
or  none  are  perused  with  more  pleasure  and 
profit  by  the  religious  world,  than  those  which 
give  a  genuine  and  incontestable  proof  of  the 
power  of  divine  grace  in  the  conversion  of  a  sin- 
ner from  the  pollutions  of  corrupt  nature  to  a 
holy  newness  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus;  or  which 
beautifully  and  comfortably  illustrate  the  more 
than  fatherly  care  and  infinite  pity  of  the  Al- 
mighty in  his  various  and  wonderful  provi- 


4  LIFE  OF 

dential  dealings  with  some  of  his  favoured 
people. 

This  prevailing  consideration,  as  already 
mentioned,  inseparably  connected,  I  trust,  with 
a  single  eye  to  the  glory  of  God,  first  led  me 
to  form  the  resolution  of  throwing  in  my  mite 
towards  increasing  the  Christian's  biographical 
library. 

I  am  well  aware,  that  some  who  may  pe- 
ruse this  narrative  will  be  disappointed  at  not 
finding  so  much  of  the  marvellous  in  it,  as 
perhaps  they  expected  on  reading  the  title- 
page;  but  sure  I  am,  the  well-experienced 
Christian,  whose  eyes  are  opened  by  divine 
grace,  will  perceive  the  finger  of  God  as  dis- 
tinctly in  the  common  incidents  it  contains, 
as  in  the  more  remarkable  events  dispersed 
through  it ;  though  they  most  probably  will 
produce  little  more  than  momentary  astonish- 
ment in  the  carnal  mind.  Believers  in  gene- 
ral lose  much  comfort  by  not  carefully  watch- 
ing the  footsteps  of  Providence  in  common 
incidents;  which  are  sometimes  big  with  fu- 
ture designs  of  the  highest  importance,  and  are 
always  fraught  with  rich  displays  of  their  dear 
Redeemer's  love.  While  in  a  state  of  nature, 
carelessly  gliding  down  the  stream  of  dissipa- 


3IAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW   BURN.  5 

tion,  I  never  once  regarded  those  things  which 
befel  me,  in  any  other  light  than  as  matters  of 
course,  or  of  accident,  trivial  in  their  nature 
and  consequences,  which  in  no  respect  de- 
manded my  attention:  but  through  grace, 
having  since  been  better  taught,  I  now  stand 
amazed  at  my  former  blind  stupidity ;  and 
from  a  deliberate  review  of  the  various  occur- 
rences in  my  past  existence,  can  as  plainly 
discover  the  supporting  and  protecting  arm  of 
my  heavenly  Father,  as  I  at  this  moment  do 
the  most  conspicuous  objects  by  the  light  of 
the  noon-day  sun.  Circumstances  which  for- 
merly appeared  as  blanks  in  my  life,  now 
stand  forth  and  vindicate  the  conduct  of  the 
wise  and  sovereign  Disposer  of  all  things; 
clearly  proving,  from  subsequent  events,  that 
they  really  were  of  the  utmost  importance, 
and  that  on  them  depended  the  whole  of  my 
present  and  future  happiness.  I  therefore 
humbly  hope,  the  disciple  of  Jesus  Christ  who 
delights  to  walk  closely  with  his  Master,  and 
whose  happy  privilege  it  is,  by  the  light  of  the 
Spirit,  carefully  to  mark,  and  sweetly  to  me- 
ditate upon,  the  gracious  leadings  of  divine 
Providence,  with  respect  to  his  own  soul,  will 
not  disdain  to  learn  how  the  same  almighty 
A  2 


b  LIFE  OF 

arm,  in  infinite  mercy,  hath  led  a  poor  fellow- 
traveller  through  many  a  rough  and  thorny 
path. 

It  can  be  of  little  use  to  mention  here,  the  par- 
ticular time  and  place  of  my  birth.*  "  God  is 
no  respecter  of  persons."  But  surely  there  is 
a  debt  of  gratitude  due  from  me,  and  many 
thousands  more,  to  the  great  Source  of  being, 
for  giving  us  an  existence  in  this  highly  fa- 
voured isle,  under  the  bright  shining  of  the 
everlasting  gospel!  Who  dare  presume  to  say, 
that,  as  a  Sovereign,  he  might  not  as  justly 
have  ranked  us  among  the  ignorant  Hotten- 
tots, or  brought  us  into  being  among  the 
savage  inhabitants  of  New  Holland?  I  am 
afraid,  very  few  even  of  religious  people  put 
a  sufiicient  estimate  upon  this  blessing.  Be- 
cause it  is  common  to  this  generation,  in  this 
part  of  the  world,  it  is  either  slighted,  or  for- 
gotten; but  it  ought  to  be  remembered,  that 
it  is  not  common  to  all  the  human  race.  To 
have  a  just  idea  of  its  value,  we  need  but  cast 
the  eye  of  reflection  a  few  centuries  back,  and 
behold  what  gross  ignorance,  superstition,  and 
more  than  midnight  darkness,  covered  the 

*  He  was  born  8th  of  September,  1742,  at  Dundee. 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.       7 

poor  untutored  inhabitants  of  this  land.  Mul- 
titudes did  not  know  there  was  such  a  book 
as  the  Bible  in  the  world:  numbers  more  could 
not  obtain  a  sight  of  it  in  a  language  they 
understood;  and  the  very  few  that  did,  after 
spending  many  painful  years  in  the  study 
of  the  respective  languages,  were  frequently 
obliged  to  travel  many  hundred  miles,  to  some 
university,  or  monk's  cloister,  for  a  Greek  or 
Hebrew  copy  of  it.  Blessed  be  God,  it  is  not 
so  in  our  day;  although  to  our  shame  we 
sadly  undervalue  the  great  privileges  we  en- 
joy- 
Besides  this  common  mercy,  of  being  born 

in  a  Christian  land,  God  was  pleased  to  bestow 
upon  me  another,  which  is  not  common  to 
all  his  children;  that  of  being  born  of  godly 
parents,  and  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  truly 
pious  relations.  Infant  reason  no  sooner 
dawned,  than  they  began  to  use  every  possi- 
ble means  to  give  that  reason  a  right  bias  to- 
wards its  proper  object;  and  they  daily  ap- 
proached the  throne  of  grace  with  fervent 
prayer  for  their  helpless  child,  befare  he  knew 
how  to  pray  for  himself.  When  a  rude  un- 
thinking boy  at  school,  I  have  sometimes 
stood  at  my  pious  grandmother's  closet  door; 


LIFE  OF 


and  how  many  heart-affecting  groans  and  ar- 
dent supplications  have  I  heard  poured  forth 
for  me,  for  which  I  then  never  imagined 
there  was  the  smallest  occasion !  Yet  if  the 
prayers  of  the  righteous  avail  much,  and 
surely  I  can  confirm  the  truth  of  this  scrip- 
ture, how  greatly  am  I  indebted  to  God,  who 
blessed  me  with  such  parents!  There  are 
many  in  the  world,  who  take  as  much  pains 
to  inculcate  into  the  minds  of  their  tender  off- 
spring the  love  of  sinful  pleasures  and  perish- 
ing vanities,  as  mine  did  to  persuade  me  to 
the  love  of  God  and  the  pursuit  of  eternal 
things.  A  religious  education,  it  is  true,  will 
not  always  restrain  the  vicious  inclinations  of 
youth;  as  many  a  pious  father  and  mother 
know  to  their  sorrow:  but  it  is  nevertheless  a 
means  of  grace,  of  God's  appointment,  and 
from  which  many  have  reaped  the  most  salu- 
tary effects.  Though  the  fruits  of  such  an 
education  may  not  appear  for  many  years,  yet, 
sooner  or  later,  the  assiduous  labours  of  the 
godly  parent  will  certainly,  in  one  respect  or 
other,  be  amply  rewarded.  I,  among  a  mul- 
titude of  others,  am  a  living  witness  to  this 
truth.  The  virtuous  and  evangelical  princi- 
ples I  imbibed  in  my  youth,  and  the  pious  ex- 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  9 

amples  constantly  set  before  me,  though  fre- 
quently slighted,  and  sometimes  in  the  course 
of  a  wicked  life  entirely  forgotten,  yet  seldom 
or  never  failed  to  witness  against  me  in  the 
wilful  commission  of  sin;  and  frequently  were 
the  means  of  preventing  its  perpetration:  and 
what  prevents  sin,  must  surely  be  a  great 
blessing. 

I  can  give  but  a  very  imperfect  account  of 
what  passed  in  the  early  part  of  my  life. 
Here  memory  fails  me;  but  I  have  frequently 
heard  my  grandmother  and  aunt  say,  I  was  of 
a  very  delicate  constitution,  and  many  times, 
contrary  to  all  expectation,  was  delivered  from 
the  very  brink  of  the  grave.  The  unseen  arm 
of  the  Lord  was  graciously  extended  to  pro- 
tect me  in  an  infant  state,  and  led  me  safe 
through  all  the  dangers  to  which  rash  un- 
thinking youth  is  hourly  exposed.  When 
nearly  three  years  old,  I  was  sent  to  live  with 
my  grandfather,  a  faithful  minister  of  the  gos- 
pel in  the  church  of  Scotland;  who  laboured 
zealously  in  his  Master's  vineyard  for  up- 
wards of  sixty  years,  and  died,  universally  re- 
gretted, at  a  very  advanced  age.  Here  my 
elder  brother  and  myself  became  the  peculiar 
charge  of  this  venerable  guide,  and  under  his 


10  LIFE  OF 

immediate  inspection  were  carefully  and  re- 
ligiously educated.  At  the  age  of  fourteen, 
when  1  had  made  as  great  a  progress  in  my 
studies  as  I  could  well  attain  at  the  best  gram- 
mar school  in  the  place,  my  father  judged  it 
full  time  for  me  to  think  of  entering  into  some 
line  of  life  in  which  I  might  be  enabled,  under 
God,  to  provide  for  myself;  his  own  situation 
in  the  mercantile  world  being  such  as  left  him 
little  hope  of  ever  being  able  to  make  any  set- 
tlement for  his  children.  Accordingly,  in  a 
letter  he  wrote  to  me  about  this  time,  he  pro- 
posed to  my  consideration,  the  three  follow- 
ing professions:  either  to  continue  my  studies 
at  the  university,  with  a  view  to  the  church; 
to  study  physic;  or  to  follow  the  law.  The 
last  of  these  he  rather  recommended,  on  ac- 
count of  his  having  a  valuable  friend  in  that 
profession,  with  whom  he  could  then  advan- 
tageously place  me,  so  as  to  be  more  immedi- 
ately under  his  own  eye.  Having  no  fixed 
choice  of  my  own,  I  readily  fell  in  with  that 
of  a  kind  parent,  whom  I  had  every  reason  to 
love  and  respect;  and  soon  after,  I  left  my 
grandfather's  house,  went  home,  and  in  a  few 
days  was  placed  in  the  office  of  my  father's 
friend,  followed  by  many  a  fervent  prayer. 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  11 

and  by  many  a  godly  admonition  to  beware  of 
the  alluring  temptations  to  which  I  should  be 
exposed,  and  many  an  exhortation  to  be  very 
assiduous  in  endeavouring  to  gain  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  profession  I  had  chosen. 
The  latter  part  of  this  advice  I  strictly  ob- 
served; and,  having  paid  a  close  attention  to 
business  for  about  a  year,  flattered  myself, 
from  the  progress  I  thought  I  was  making, 
that  in  a  very  little  time  I  should  be  able  to 
procure  a  comfortable  livelihood,  and  perhaps 
in  the  course  of  a  few  years  accumulate  that 
wealth  in  which  I  vainly  imagined  true  hap- 
piness to  consist.  The  enemy  of  souls  has 
lulled  me  into  many  of  these  golden  dreams, 
from  which  I  never  should  have  awaked,  had 
not  God,  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  graciously  in- 
terposed to  break  the  snare.  This  he  now 
did,  by  one  of  those  sudden  turns  of  provi- 
dence, of  which,  in  the  course  of  this  narra- 
tive, it  will  be  found  I  was  frequently  the 
subject.  I  have  often  thought  of  the  pleasure 
the  redeemed  soul  must  feel  in  the  world  of 
spirits,  when  permitted  to  see  the  intricate 
thread  of  providence  fully  unravelled :  and  as  I 
humbly  hope,  through  grace,  to  be  thus  highly 
favoured,  methinks  I  shall  stand  amazed,  and 


12  LIFE  OF 

with  glowing  gratitude  admire  the  divine 
goodness  and  wisdom,  in  not  permitting  me 
to  prosecute  a  business,  in  which  many  dan- 
gers and  snares  frequently,  I  fear,  occur  to 
perplex  the  mind  of  the  conscientious  Chris- 
tian, and  into  which  I  might  have  fallen,  and 
have  been  ruined  for  ever!  How  this  sudden 
change  of  situation  was  effected,  with  the  cir- 
cumstances that  introduced  me  into  an  en- 
tirely new  scene,  will  appear  in  the  subse- 
quent narrative. 

From  my  infancy  to  the  age  of  sixteen, 
having  none  but  virtuous  examples  before  me, 
and  being  surrounded  with  pious  relatives, 
ready  to  warn  and  correct  me  on  the  least 
failure,  I  should  have  been  in  a  manner  con- 
strained to  walk  circumspectly,  even  if  I  had 
been  most  viciously  inclined :  that,  however, 
was  not  the  case;  for  my  compassionate  Crea- 
tor, among  all  his  other  favours,  gave  me  a 
tender  conscience,  which  in  those  early  days 
was  more  hearkened  to  than  it  has  frequently 
been  since;  and,  if  I  mistake  not,  the  princi- 
pal part,  if  not  the  whole,  of  my  religion  then 
consisted  in  attempts  to  pacify  this  clamorous 
monitor.  My  parents  carefully  taught  me  to 
pray  with  the  lip;  but  it  was  beyond  their 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  IS 

power  to  make  me  pray  with  the  heart,  and 
that  I  seldom  or  never  did.  I  was  obliged  to 
repeat  the  Assembly's  Catechism,  at  least,  once 
a  week,  for  eight  or  ten  years  together;  but  I 
may  safely  venture  to  affirm,  I  did  not  know 
the  spiritual  meaning  of  one  sentence  in  it. 
The  Bible  I  also  read  over  several  times,  but 
with  no  more  profit  at  that  period  than  I  re- 
ceived from  repeating  the  catechism.  The 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  with  salvation  through 
him  alone,  was  continually  sounding  in  my 
ears;  but,  alas!  I  neither  saw  my  need  of  such 
a  Saviour,  nor  at  all  understood  the  extreme 
importance  of  this  declaration.  Indeed  I 
thought  it  was  my  indispensable  duty  to  be 
religious  like  those  about  me,  that  I  might 
escape  the  pains  of  hell,  and  lay  in  a  claim  to 
the  joys  of  heaven.  A  pharisee  in  miniature, 
I  delighted  to  think  of  heaven,  and  often 
longed  to  be  one  of  its  inhabitants;  though  I 
never  rightly  relished  the  nature  of  their  di- 
vine employment.  The  idea  of  happiness 
flowing  from  the  uninterrupted  worship  of 
God  and  the  Lamb,  was  then  too  spiritual 
and  sublime  for  me  to  comprehend.  Conse- 
quently, my  religious  duties  were  for  the  most 
part  very  burdensome.    I  particularly  remem- 

B 


14  LIFE  OF 

ber,  the  sabbath  day  generally  appeared  as 
long  as  any  two  other  days  in  the  week;  and 
a  sacramental  occasion  I  dreaded  as  the  great- 
est evil,  because  the  Thursday  and  Saturday 
before,  and  the  Monday  after,  were  days 
more  immediately  devoted  to  God  by  fasting, 
preaching,  and  prayer.  In  short  I  had  no 
other  religion  to  boast  of  at  that  period,  than 
that  which  thousands  are  contented  with  in 
the  present  day:  I  mean  that  of  education  and 
example.  Had  I  been  born  and  educated  at 
Constantinople,  I  certainly  had  been  as  good 
a  Mussulman,  as  I  was  then  a  Christian.  A 
"  form  of  godliness,"  without  any  thing  of  its 
power,  was  all  of  which  I  could  boast;  I 
neither  wished  for,  nor  felt  the  necessity  of, 
a  better.  Something  which  I  then  fancied  of 
far  greater  moment,  wholly  engrossed  my  at- 
tention; and  that  was,  how  I  should  most 
speedily  acquire  honour,  wealth,  and  power, 
in  the  world; — totally  ignorant  of  what  I 
have  since  found  by  experience  to  be  true, 
that  "  the  blessing  of  the  Lord,  it  maketh 
rich,  and  he  addeth  no  sorrow  with  it/'  Prov. 
X.  22. 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  15 

ENTRANCE  ON  A  SEA  LIFE. 

But  to  return  to  my  narrative.  My  father 
about  this  time,  having  met  with  many  heavy 
losses  and  disappointments  in  trade,  particu- 
larly by  the  foundering  of  a  ship  that  was  not 
insured,  found  it  impracticable  any  longer  to 
maintain  his  family  in  that  line  of  business  in 
which  he  had  been  engaged;  and  having  no 
promising  prospect  of  soon  entering  into  any 
other,  he  obtained,  though  with  some  diffi- 
culty, through  the  instrumentality  of  Sir  H. 
Erskine,  a  purser's  warrant  to  a  sloop  of  war. 
To  a  man  of  my  father's  domestic  character, 
the  thought  of  separation  from  his  beloved 
family,  his  friends,  and  connexions,  was  one 
of  the  heaviest  trials  he  had  ever  met  with; 
but  necessity,  sad  necessity,  left  no  room  to 
hesitate.  He  therefore  set  off  immediately  to 
join  his  ship,  the  M — ,  and  embarked  in  Yar- 
mouth Roads. 

From  this  period  I  felt  insensibly  stealing 
upon  me  a  strong  desire  to  follow  my  father's 
steps,  and  share  his  fortune  at  sea.  This  wish 
increased  upon  me  every  day;  so  that  I  soon 
began  to  disrelish  the  slow  and  painful  way  of 
scraping  riches  together  with  my  pen,  and 


16  LIFE  OF 

thought  and  talked  of  nothing  but  a  man-of- 
war.  My  youthful  mind,  filled  with  strange 
notions  of  noble  warlike  achievements,  and 
puffed  up  with  false  hopes  of  accumulating 
immense  riches  from  the  spoils  of  the  enemy, 
soon  arrived  at  the  height  of  its  frenzy;  and 
brought  me,  at  last,  fully  and  foolishly  to 
determine,  at  all  events,  to  leave  the  profes- 
sion of  which  I  had  already  acquired  some 
little  knowledge,  in  order  to  strike  out  a  new, 
and,  as  I  then  imagined,  a  far  more  honour- 
able, way  of  rising  in  the  world,  and,  upon 
the  very  face  of  it,  a  much  easier  method  of 
attaining  to  a  state  of  opulence,  which,  in  my 
eyes,  was  the  "  one  thing  needful." 

When  my  father  was  informed  of  my  de- 
termination, he  rather  encouraged  than  op- 
posed it;  and  only  insisted  upon  my  first  em- 
ploying a  few  months  more  in  the  study  of 
navigation,  and  other  necessary  branches  of 
mathematics;  a  request  with  which  I  cheer- 
fully complied.  I  was  just  preparing  to  set 
off  to  join  the  M — ,  then  at  the  Nore,  when 
providentially  she  was  ordered  to  convoy  a 
fleet  of  merchantmen  from  a  seaport  within 
twenty  miles  of  my  abode.  After  waiting 
impatiently  several  days  for  her  arrival,  I  at 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  17 

last  set  off  from  my  native  place,  accompanied 
part  of  the  way  by  an  elder  brother;  and  em- 
barked on  board  this  vessel  on  my  birth-day 
in  the  year  1758,  being  then  sixteen  years  of 
age. 

Before  I  proceed,  I  must  for  a  moment  in- 
dulge a  pleasing  reflection  on  the  goodness  of 
our  heavenly  Father  to  me  his  unworthy 
creature,  in  the  transactions  of  this  day;  that 
my  heart,  so  very  prone  to  forget  the  Lord's 
mercies,  may  once  more  enjoy  the  pleasure  of 
feeling  a  glow  of  gratitude  and  love.  What 
a  peculiar  blessing  was  it,  for  instance,  that 
now,  when  in  the  bloom  of  youth,  strong  and 
healthy,  every  passion  ready  to  burst  into  a 
flame  of  sinful  gratification,  I  embarked  on 
board  of  a  man-of-war  (a  place  so  unfavour- 
able to  the  growth  of  religion),  I  there  found 
a  pious  father,  like  another  guardian  angel, 
warning  me  of  the  approach  of  danger,  point- 
ing out  the  path  of  safety,  and  serving  as  a 
powerful  restraint  against  the  commission  of 
those  gross  iniquities,  in  the  midst  of  which 
we  were  both  obliged  to  dwell!  What  would 
have  become  of  me  in  this  dangerous  situa- 
tion, if  God  had  not  there  placed  such  an  in- 
strument to  protect  me!  Instead  of  being 
B  2 


18  LIFE  OF 

frequently  shut  up  in  a  cabin  with  an  afifec- 
tionate  parent,  there  spending  many  an  hour 
in  prayer,  reading  the  scriptures,  and  listen- 
ing to  his  pious  instructions,  while  he  pointed 
out  Jesus,  and  the  way  of  salvation  through 
him,  I  most  probably  should  have  been  ca- 
rousing with  my  abandoned  messmates  below, 
wallowing  in  all  manner  of  sin  and  unclean- 
ness,  blaspheming  my  Saviour,  perhaps,  with 
every  breath  I  drew.  Little  did  I  then  think 
of  the  advantages  I  reaped  from  a  father's 
care;  much  less  did  I  ever  imagine  that  God 
had  any  influence  in  it:  but  now  that,  through 
grace,  my  eyes  are  open,  and  I  call  to  remem- 
brance the  many  promising  youths  I  have  seen 
entirely  ruined  in  a  few  months  after  they  en- 
tered the  navy,  and  how  few  there  are,  who 
enjoy  such  a  powerful  protection  from  its  con- 
taminating pollutions  as  I  did,  I  stand  amazed 
at  the  love  of  God;  and,  while  I  gaze  at  the 
danger  escaped,  wonder  that  I  do  not  love  him 
more. 

I  was  just  entering  into  my  seventeenth 
year,  when  I  embarked  with  my  beloved  pa- 
rent, though  not  in  that  line  of  service  in 
which  I  had  formed  all  my  foolish  plans  of 
glory  and  riches;  for  my  father  well  knew 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  19 

the  great  difSculty  there  was  of  procuring  a 
commission  in  the  naval  department,  and 
how  many  years  of  service  it  was  necessary 
I  should  go  through,  before  I  could  be  duly 
qualified.  He  therefore  judged  it  would  be 
most  for  my  advantage,  to  get  a  competent 
knowledge  of  his  own  business;  hoping  that 
with  the  interest  he  had,  he  might  soon  be 
enabled  to  procure  me  a  purser's  warrant. 
With  this  view  I  was  employed,  during  my 
continuance  on  board  the  M — ,  in  the  cap- 
tain's cabin,  to  assist  his  clerk  in  keeping 
the  ship's  books,  and  my  father's  accounts. 
Those  who  were  my  companions  when  walk- 
ing the  quarter-deck,  and  who  are  now  all 
dead,  were  of  the  most  abandoned  descrip- 
tion; my  messmate,  the  captain's  clerk,  being 
one  of  the  worst  of  them.  Though  too  often 
enticed  into  the  paths  of  sin  by  their  bad  ex- 
ample, yet,  thanks  be  to  God!  through  means 
of  the  powerful  restraint  just  mentioned,  I 
was  not  then  suffered  to  be  entirely  carried 
away  into  the  current  of  their  iniquitous  prac- 
tices. 

A  few  days  after  I  embarked,  we  sailed 
from  Leith,  and  soon  arrived  in  the  North 
Sea,  where  we  were  stationed  during  the  win- 


20  LIFE  OF 

ter,  to  protect  the  cod-fishery,  on  the  Dogger- 
bank.  But  surely  never  poor  mortal  went 
through  a  more  severe  ordeal  than  1  did  here; 
being  constantly  sea-sick,  and  almost  in  hour- 
ly dread  of  perishing  on  a  lee-shore,  or  foun- 
dering in  the  ocean.  Such  was  my  truly  un- 
comfortable situation,  that  I  often  wished  my- 
self any  where,  or  any  thing,  rather  than 
where  and  what  I  was;  but  now  it  was  too 
late  to  repent.  I  could  only  exclaim  bitter- 
ly, in  secret,  at  my  own  consummate  folly, 
in  leaving  a  promising  profession  at  home, 
for  one  so  very  disagreeable  and  precarious 
abroad;  especially  since  I  saw  no  probability 
of  ever  amassing  the  immense  fortune  my 
covetous  heart  so  eagerly  desired.* 

Thus  fallacious  are  the  dreams  of  those, 
who  expect  to  find  happiness  in  any  thing 
short  of  true  religion. 

Happy  was  it  for  me  that  our  station  on  the 
Dogger-bank  did  not  last  so  long  as  we  ex- 
pected. On  the  7th  of  January  following, 
1759,  we  were  relieved  by  the  Grampus 
sloop,  and  ordered  immediately  to  the  Nore. 


*  The  sum  total  of  the  prize-money  I  made  during  this 
war,  amounted  to  three  shillings  and  sixpence. 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  21 

In  a  few  days  after,  we  were  sent  into  dock 
at  Sheerness.  From  this  place,  I  went  for 
the  first  time,  with  my  wicked  messmate,  to 
London;  and  have  surely  great  reason  to 
bless  God  that  during  the  time  I  was  there, 
under  such  a  truly  diabolical  guide,  I  could 
not  be  prevailed  upon  to  partake  of  those  im- 
pure pleasures  which  destroy  many  a  hopeful 
youth  in  that  abandoned  city.  Yet,  never- 
theless, I  was  in  the  very  jaws  of  death,  tread- 
ing the  paths  that  lead  down  to  hell,  Prov. 
vii.  27;  and  had  I  then  been  permitted  to 
fall,  who  could  say  that  I  should  ever  have 
emerged  from  this  sink  of  pollution?  Sove- 
reign grace  will  be  the  ransomed  sinner's 
song  all  through  the  wilderness:  for  my  own 
part,  I  can  sing  no  other. 

About  the  beginning  of  March,  1759,  we 
sailed  from  the  Nore  on  a  cruise  toward  the 
north;  but  soon  meeting  with  very  heavy 
gales  of  wind,  were  driven  over  to  the  coast 
of  Holland,  and  obliged  to  run  for  shelter  in- 
to Helvoetsluys.  Here  we  remained  wind- 
bound  nearly  three  weeks.  During  this  time, 
while  my  father  was  at  Rotterdam,  I  spent 
some  very  agreeable  hours  in  strolling  about 
the    country    villages;    viewing   these    rural 


22  LIFE  OF 

scenes  with  all  the  luxur}^  of  enjoyment,  so 
peculiar  to  sea-faring  people,  just  returned 
from  a  boisterous  element. 

On  the  1st  April,  we  left  Holland,  and  ar- 
rived next  day  in  the  Downs,  where  we  re- 
ceived orders  to  proceed  to  Portsmouth  to  be 
docked.  In  ten  days  the  ship  was  sheathed 
and  fitted  for  foreign  service,  and  we  then 
sailed  from  Spithead  with  the  Crescent  fri- 
gate and  a  large  fleet  of  merchantmen,  for  the 
West  Indies. 

A  journal  of  our  voyage  across  the  Atlan- 
tic, is  more  likely  to  tire  than  to  amuse;  I 
shall  therefore  only  mention  one  incident  that 
then  occurred,  which,  while  it  may  tend  to 
humble  me  in  the  dust,  may  also  serve  as  a 
specimen  of  the  fruit  of  the  religion  I  then 
possessed.  Having  on  the  16th  of  May, 
crossed  the  tropic,  the  boatswain,  gunner, 
and  carpenter,  my  messmate,  and  myself,  got 
together  in  a  cabin,  to  spend  the  evening,  and 
drink  (as  they  termed  it)  a  cheerful  glass;  but 
instead  of  a  "  cheerful"  it  soon  became  a  sin- 
ful one.  Before  the  party  broke  up,  I  was, 
for  the  first  time  in  my  life,  so  completely  in- 
toxicated, that  I  lost  the  use  of  my  reason, 
and  was  unable  to  move  hand  or  foot. 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  23 

In  this  state,  I  was  thrown  by  my  stagger- 
ing companions  into  a  hammock.  The  next 
day  I  began  to  feel  the  usual  efTects  of  an  eve- 
ning's debauch.  My  aflfectionate  father  was 
very  inquisitive  to  know  what  was  the  matter 
with  me;  but  dreading  to  inform  him  of  the 
real  cause,  I  told  him  a  direct  falsehood,  and 
said  I  was  only  sea-sick  and  should  soon  be 
well.  One  sin  is  seldom  committed  without 
drawing  a  numerous  train  after  it.  When  he 
began  to  interrogate  me  a  little  more  closely, 
and  seem  surprised  at  my  being  sea-sick  when 
the  weather  was  so  tine,  I  was  led,  for  fear  of 
discovery,  to  confirm  the  first  falsehood  by  tell- 
ing a  dozen  more.  When  I  had  thus  satisfied 
him,  I  found  my  mind  very  easy;  and  never 
thought  (or  if  I  did,  it  was  very  superficially) 
that  I  had  ofiended  God  by  such  wicked  con- 
duct. So  little  did  I  then  see  or  feel  of  the 
deceitful  nature  and  tendency  of  sin! 

On  the  6th  of  June  we  arrived  at  Barba- 
does,  and  the  same  day  in  the  evening  I  ex- 
perienced another  proof  of  the  gracious  in- 
terposition of  that  divine  Providence,  which 
rules  over  all,  and  in  a  thousand  instances  of 
imminent  danger  has  seasonably  appeared  for 
my  preservation.     Having  procured  leave  to 


24  LIFE  OF 

take  a  ramble  on  shore,  for  a  few  hours,  with 
my  messmate,  we  immediately  on  landing 
strolled  np  the  country.  Being  at  a  little 
distance  before  him,  under  a  grove  of  man- 
chineel  trees,  I  hastily  stooped  down  and 
picked  up  some  of  the  apples.  Altogether 
ignorant  of  their  poisonous  quality,  and  sup- 
posing them  to  be  limes,  I  was  eagerly  put- 
ting them  to  my  mouth,  to  quench  my  thirst, 
when  my  messmate,  though  at  some  distance, 
saw  the  danger,  called  out,  and  prevented  it; 
otherwise,  in  a  few  moments  more,  it  is  very 
probable  I  should  have  drunk  the  deadly  poi- 
son, and  perished  in  my  sins. 

The  third  day  after  our  arrival  here,  we 
sailed  for  Antigua,  and  thence  to  St.  Kitts, 
and  arrived  at  Jamaica  on  the  25th,  where  it 
pleased  God,  once  more,  to  give  a  sudden 
turn  to  all  my  worldly  views  and  schemes, 
by  entirely  cutting  off  all  hope  of  future  ad- 
vancement in  the  navy;  so  ordering  circum- 
stances, that  both  my  father  and  I  were 
obliged  to  quit  it.  Having  spent  but  a  few 
days  at  Port  Royal  in  watering  and  victual- 
ling the  ship,  we  sailed  on  a  cruise  round  the 
island,  full  of  expectation  that  we  should  not 
return  without  making  some  captures;  but  the 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  25 

pilot  had  scarcely  brought  us  out  of  the  har- 
bour, when  either  through  ignorance,  or  from 
some  unusual  current,  or  sudden  shift  of  wind, 
he  ran  the  ship  fast  aground.  The  sea-breeze 
beginning  to  freshen,  she  struck  several  times 
violently  upon  the  shoals,  carried  away  her 
false  keel,  and  great  part  of  her  sheathing; 
but  by  the  timely  assistance  of  the  boats  in 
the  fleet,  she  was  soon  got  off  again,  towed 
into  harbour,  and  ordered  to  be  hove  down. 

During  this  tedious  operation,  my  father 
was  seized  with  a  diarrhoea  and  slow  fever, 
and  declined  visibly  in  his  health  every  day. 
He  was  at  last  brought  so  low,  that  his  medi- 
cal attendants  advised  him  speedily  to  leave 
the  West  Indies,  as  the  only  probable  means 
of  saving  his  life.  He  therefore  determined 
at  all  events  to  embrace  the  first  opportunity 
of  returning  to  England;  in  order  to  which 
he  was  obliged  to  throw  up  his  warrant  as 
purser  of  the  M — .  At  the  same  time  he  ob- 
tained my  discharge;  though  the  captain  used 
all  his  interest  with  the  admiral  to  prevent  it, 
from  a  selfish  view,  that,  if  his  own  clerk 
should  die,  I  might  be  ready  to  supply  his 
place.  Indeed,  his  anticipations  were  soon 
realized;  for  shortly  after  we  left  the  ship, 


26  LIFE  OF 

my  messmate  died.  His  death  was  taken 
particular  notice  of  by  all  on  board:  for, 
during  the  voyage  from  England,  he  used 
frequently  to  say  amongst  his  inconsiderate 
companions,  that  as  he  had  formerly  been 
well  seasoned  in  the  West  Indies,  he  should 
now  live  to  see  them  all  in  their  graves;  and 
being  appointed  to  read  the  burial  service 
when  any  one  died  at  sea,  he  often  swore  he 
would  perform  that  ceremony  for  none  of 
them,  unless  they  would  pay  him  beforehand. 
Poor  unhappy  man!  He  was  death's  first 
victim! 


SITUATION  IN  JAMAICA. 

My  father  would  gladly  have  taken  me  to 
England  with  him,  had  he  entertained  the 
smallest  hope  of  providing  for  me  there;  but 
as  I  enjoyed  a  good  state  of  health,  and  seem- 
ed rather  inclined  to  remain  in  Jamaica,  he 
thought  it  might  tend  much  more  to  my 
temporal  advantage  to  leave  me  behind.  He 
therefore  agreed  with  a  gentleman  of  his  ac- 
quaintance at  Kingston,  the  deputy  secretary 
of  the  island,  to  take  me  as  a  clerk  in  his  of- 
fice. 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  27 

Having  earnestly  recommended  me  to  the 
divine  favour,  and  offered  up  many  ardent 
prayers  for  my  preservation,  he  took  an  affec- 
tionate leave  of  me  on  the  31st  of  July,  and 
sailed  from  Port  Royal  the  same  day,  in  the 
Ludlow  Castle. 

What  an  unspeakable  mercy  it  is  to  be 
blessed  with  truly  religious  parents!  If  ever 
the  prayers  of  the  righteous  were  prevalent 
in  behalf  of  a  fellow-mortal,  surely  those 
which  a  pious  father  now  put  up  for  an  un- 
worthy son  were  amongst  the  number.  To 
their  efficacy  in  calling  down  the  goodness 
of  God  upon  me,  I  attribute  the  many  hair- 
breadth escapes  and  wonderful  deliverances 
I  afterwards  experienced. 

In  a  biographical  narrative,  such  as  I  am 
now  writing,  it  must  be  evident  to  every  can- 
did reader,  that  the  principal  thing  requisite 
is  a  strict  adherence  to  truth.  However  de- 
ficient the  present  performance  may  be  in 
many  other  qualities  necessary  to  make  it  ac- 
ceptable, I  am  very  confident  it  will  not  be 
defective  in  this.  Had  I  no  other  resource 
from  which  to  collect  materials  than  a  falla- 
cious memory,  I  should  hardly  venture  to 
make  this  assertion;  but  ever  since  I  left  my 


28  LIFE  OF 

native  place,  I  have  almost  constantly  kept  a 
diary,  in  which  I  have  faithfully  recorded 
every  material  circumstance  that  has  befallen 
me:  so  that  I  have  now  many  volumes  of 
manuscripts  of  this  nature  before  me,  from 
which  to  draw  the  substance  of  these  me- 
moirs. So  scrupulously  particular  have  I 
been,  when  inserting  recent  facts  in  my 
journal,  that  I  have  frequently  omitted  very 
striking  incidents,  where  there  appeared  the 
smallest  doubt  of  their  authenticity. 

This  short  digression  is  made  with  a  view 
to  convince  those  who  may  peruse  this  narra- 
tive, that  they  are  not  reading  a  romance. 

To  return: — When  I  lost  my  father,  I  lost 
the  best  part,  if  not  the  whole,  of  my  reli- 
gion. Left,  for  the  first  time,  in  the  midst  of 
strangers,  to  act  entirely  for  myself,  the  Lord 
knows  I  acted  very  sinfully.  Had  not  his 
all-wise  providence  graciously  interfered  to 
overrule  my  wicked  conduct,  I  had  certainly 
fallen  a  victim  to  my  own  folly. 

The  serious  impressions  which  a  religious 
education  had  made  upon  my  mind  were  not 
immediately,  nor  ever  entirely,  obliterated; 
but  the  restraint  of  an  earthly  parent  being 
removed,  the  fear  I  then  had  of  God  was  not 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  29 

sufficiently  strong  to  keep  me  from  the  com- 
mission of  those  particular  sins  to  which  my 
constitution  and  a  depraved  inclination  natu- 
rally led  me:  though  in  the  first  open  devia- 
tions from  the  path  of  rectitude,  I  enjoyed 
very  little  satisfaction.  Conscience  was  yet 
tender,  and  her  authority  was  not  altogether 
denied.  In  the  cup  of  sinful  gratification,  the 
bitter,  at  times,  far  exceeded  the  sweet.  Such, 
more  or  less,  is  the  nature  of  those  pleasures 
which  the  carnal  mind  so  eagerly  pursues.  A 
few  months  after  I  was  thus  left  to  act  for 
myself,  an  epidemical  fever  broke  out,  and 
raged  very  violently  in  Kingston,  which 
proved  fatal  to  numbers.  This  alarmed  me, 
and  the  fear  of  death  was  so  strongly  impress- 
ed upon  my  mind,  that  I  had  no  rest  night  or 
day,  till  I  determined  to  retire  into  the  coun- 
try. To  this  resolution  I  sacrificed  a  more 
lucrative  situation  than  I  could  possibly  ex- 
pect to  obtain  there.  But  consequences  of 
this  nature  I  seldom  attended  to  in  those  early 
days.  I  saw  a  very  serious  danger  approach- 
ing, and  I  verily  believe  that  I  was  influenced 
from  above  to  flee  from  it.  When  I  commu- 
nicated my  intention  to  the  gentleman  with 
whom  I  lived,  he  consented  to  my  leaving  his 
c  2 


30  LIFE  OP 

office,  and  through  his  interest  procured  me  a 
book-keeper's  place  upon  a  very  healthy  plan- 
tation only  a  few  miles  from  town.  Here,  for 
the  fourth  time,  I  entered  upon  an  entirely 
new  employment;  which  did  not  altogether 
suit  my  inclination;  yet  my  removal  to  it  af- 
forded another  striking  instance  of  the  Lord's 
watchful  providence.  About  three  months 
afterwards,  having  occasion  to  be  in  town 
upon  some  business,  I  called  to  see  several  of 
my  old  acquaintances;  but  heard  that  one  had 
died  of  a  yellow  fever,  about  two  months  be- 
fore; another  of  a  putrid  fever,  and  a  third  of 
a  purple  fever,  within  a  few  days.  In  short, 
I  found  upon  further  inquiry,  that  nearly  all 
the  young  men  with  whom  I  had  formerly 
associated,  had,  in  the  short  space  of  three 
months,  been  launched  into  eternity!  I  left 
them  immersed  in  sin,  and  for  aught  I  know 
they  died  in  that  state.  Had  I  remained  at 
Kingston,  I  certainly  should  have  visited  my 
friends  in  their  illness,  and  in  this  case  it  is 
morally  certain  I  should  have  caught  some  of 
their  many-coloured  fevers,  and  shared  the 
same  fate.  But  divine  mercy  interposed, 
urged  me  to  flee,  and  thus  gave  me  further 
space  for  repentance. 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  81 

I  continued  on  this  plantation  about  nine 
or  ten  months,  frequently  experiencing  this 
same  protecting  mercy  in  various  instances  of 
imminent  danger,  yet  still  plunging  deeper 
into  the  mire  of  sinful  indulgence,  totally  re- 
gardless of  that  kind  arm  which  kept  me  from 
sinking  into  perdition. 

In  the  latter  end  of  the  year  1759,  when 
the  general  insurrection  of  the  negroes  took 
place,  which  proved  so  fatal  to  numbers  of  Eu- 
ropeans, (some  being  cruelly  murdered  in 
their  beds,  and  others  inhumanly  tortured,)  it 
pleased  God  to  restrain  those  amongst  whom 
I  lived,  so  that  not  one  of  them  offered  the 
least  act  of  hostility,  though  there  were  up- 
wards of  two  hundred  sufficiently  armed  to  do 
mischief,  and  there  were  but  two  white  men 
(the  overseer  and  myself)  on  the  plantation  to 
oppose  them.  This  signal  deliverance  was 
the  prelude  to  many  others.  For  several 
months  after,  guards  were  constantly  placed 
on  all  the  high-ways,  to  prevent  the  rebellious 
negroes  from  assembling  in  numbers,  and  dur- 
ing that  time  it  came  to  my  turn  almost  every 
other  night,  to  stand  sentry  for  several  hours 
in  the  open  air,  exposed  to  all  the  rains  and 
dews  of  the  season,  which  brought  on  many 


32  LIFE  or 

disorders,  and  carried  multitudes  to  their 
graves.  Through  mercy,  I  was  still  continued 
among  the  living  and  the  healthy.  In  short, 
scarcely  a  day  or  an  hour  passed,  whilst  I  re- 
mained on  this  island,  that  did  not  evidently 
display,  in  one  respect  or  other,  the  watchful 
care  of  divine  Providence  in  my  preservation. 
Yet,  wilfully  ignorant,  or  criminally  forgetful 
of  the  gracious  power  that  thus  sustained  me, 
I  slighted  his  goodness,  overlooked  his  mer- 
cies, and  deplorably  departed  from  him  both 
in  heart  and  practice.  I  have  already  hinted 
that  the  serious  impressions  imbibed  from  a 
pious  education,  were  not  entirely  obliterated; 
but  by  this  time  they  had  lost  great  part  of 
their  influence,  and  as  tliat  diminished,  the 
darling  inclinations  of  a  corrupt  heart  gradu- 
ally prevailed,  and  so  far  gained  the  ascen- 
dency, that  some  of  the  most  glaring  sins, 
which  at  first  appearance  struck  me  with  hor- 
ror, imperceptibly  lost  their  deformity  in  my 
eyes,  and,  Proteus-like,  transformed  them- 
selves into  innocent  enjoyments.  Thus  ad- 
vancing, step  by  step,  in  the  dangerous  road 
of  sin,  I  soon  arrived  at  dreadful  lengths; 
drank  in  the  deadly  poison  with  as  much 
eagerness  as  the  thirsty  ox  drinks  in  water, 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.      33 

and  rushed  on  rapidly  with  the  wicked  multi- 
tude, in  the  broad  way  to  eternal  ruin. 

Oh!  what  infinite  obligations  am  I  under  to 
the  best  of  Beings,  who  would  not  suffer  me 
to  continue  on  this  unhallowed  spot  I  Had  I 
died  there,  which  to  all  human  appearance  was 
very  probable,  my  soul  must  have  been  irre- 
trievably lost.  It  is  a  common  expression 
amongst  the  wicked  inhabitants  of  this  island, 
and  used  to  palliate  their  impious  deeds: 
"  Well,  there's  no  God  in  Jamaica."  Hap- 
pily for  me,  I  found  one  there,  of  boundless 
compassion;  or  rather  such  an  one  found  me 
there,  and  forced  me  to  flee  from  it,  as  he  did 
Lot  out  of  Sodom,  with  the  utmost  precipi- 
tation. 

In  the  present  dissipated  age,  I  am  well 
aware  that  the  doctrine  of  a  supernatural  im- 
pulse on  the  human  mind,  is,  by  many  who 
call  themselves  Christians,  entirely  exploded 
as  enthusiastic;  but  without  a  full  assent  to  this 
revealed  truth,  I  really  cannot  rationally  ac- 
count for  many  circumstances  in  my  past  life, 
particularly  for  my  conduct  in  the  present  in- 
stance, when  a  strange,  and  otherwise  unac- 
countable, impulse  induced  me  to  leave  this 
polluted  country. 


34  LIFE  OF 

I  had,  for  some  time  past,  fondly  indulged 
the  hope  of  making  a  fortune  in  Jamaica;  but, 
all  on  a  sudden,  I  conceived  such  an  invete- 
rate dislike  to  the  place,  and  to  every  thing 
connected  with  it,  the  heat  of  the  climate,  the 
impiety  of  its  inhabitants,  and  danger  of  my 
situation,  both  with  respect  to  body  and  soul, 
that  I  resolved  to  leave  it  the  first  opportunity 
that  offered.  I  sat  down  to  deliberate  on  the 
step  I  was  about  to  take,  and  could  not  forbear 
lamenting  how  much  I  should  disoblige  the 
best  of  parents,  by  thus  throwing  myself  out 
of  employment.  Neither  was  I  unmindful  of 
the  poverty  and  distress  which  would  proba- 
bly await  me  in  England.  Without  money, 
and  without  friends,  I  had  no  other  prospect 
before  me  than  that  of  becoming  a  common 
sailor  or  soldier.  On  the  other  hand,  the  gen- 
tleman on  whose  estate  I  lived,  kindly  pro- 
mised, if  I  would  stay  with  him,  to  make  me 
overseer  of  another  plantation,  a  place  worth 
upwards  of  $800  a  year.  But  all  would  not 
avail.  Heaven  had  prompted  me  to  flee  from 
this  island,  and  no  arguments,  prospects  of 
gain,  or  dread  of  consequences,  could  induce 
me  to  stay.  Amongst  the  multitude  of  mer- 
cies with  which  the  Lord  has  favoured  me, 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  35 

my  escape  from  this  abandoned  island  must 
ever  stand  prominent. 


RETURN  TO  ENGLAND. 

On  the  22d  of  July,  1760,  I  left  the  planta- 
tion where  I  had  been  situated  for  nine  or  ten 
months,  and  went  into  town;  and  being  by  a 
friend  introduced  to  the  admiral,  I  solicited 
him  (as  having  formerly  belonged  to  the  navy) 
to  grant  me  a  passage  to  England,  in  the  Edin- 
burgh, about  to  sail  with  the  first  fleet.  With 
this  he  readily  complied,  and  gave  an  order 
for  my  being  borne  as  a  supernumerary. 
While  the  fleet  was  getting  ready,  I  spent  a 
few  weeks  very  agreeably  with  a  friend  in  the 
country;  and,  with  no  small  degree  of  plea- 
sure, embarked  at  Port  Royal,  on  the  24th  of 
August  following;  thus  once  more  setting  out 
anew  in  the  world,  altogether  unprovided  for, 
not  knowing  w^hat  future  plan  I  was  to  pur- 
sue. But  the  same  faithful  God  who  pre- 
served me  in  Jamaica,  was  with  me  also  in 
the  midst  of  many  perils  on  the  great  deep; 
and,  having  landed  me  safe  in  England,  gra- 
ciously provided  for  me  a  few  months  after 
my  arrival. 


36  LIFE  OF 

On  the  day  I  embarked,  coming  from 
Kingston  in  an  open  boat,  T  wis  overtaken  in 
a  thunder-storm,  and  thoroughly  drenched 
with  rain;  and,  as  my  clothes  were  not  then 
on  board,  I  was  obliged  to  continue  in  that 
uncomfortable  situation  the  remainder  of  the 
day,  which  brought  on  the  first  fit  of  sickness 
I  ever  had  since  my  infancy.  Two  days  be- 
fore the  ship  sailed,  I  was  confined  to  my 
hammock,  and  when  out  at  sea,  was  brought 
so  low  by  a  violent  fever,  that  I  expected 
every  hour  to  be  thrown  overboard,  with  se- 
veral others  around  me,  who  died  of  the  same 
complaint.  Yet,  dreadful  to  think  of!  though 
perfectly  sensible  of  my  danger,  I  had  not  the 
least  painful  conviction  of  my  accumulated 
guilt,  nor  the  smallest  notion  of  Jesus  Christ 
as  a  Saviour.  The  prospect  of  a  future  state, 
just  at  hand,  made  no  impression  upon  me; 
neither  did  I  feel  the  least  terror  at  the  ap- 
proaching pains  of  death.  In  short,  I  was  dy- 
ing, and  in  every  respect  like  the  brute  that 
perisheth,  though  endued  with  all  the  faculties 
of  a  rational  being,  and  these  in  full  exercise, 
unimpaired  by  bodily  pain.  Oh  what  a  mer- 
cy, that  I  did  not  then  die!  Where  would 
my  soul  now  have  been?     Surely,  not  con- 


MAJOR  GENEKAL  ANDREW  BURN.  37 

templating,  as  I  trust  it  does  with  some  de- 
gree of  thankfulness,  the  imminent  danger  it 
has  escaped.  When  I  was,  to  all  human  ap- 
pearance, hreathing  my  last,  the  surgeon  of 
the  ship  administered  a  medicine,  which  God 
so  singularly  hlessed,  that  it  gave  a  sudden 
and  favourable  turn  to  my  disorder,  and  in  a 
few  days  1  was  pronounced  out  of  danger. 

The  first  time  I  got  out  of  my  hammock  to 
make  my  bed,  I  found  a  large  scorpion  in  it, 
which  had  probably  lain  there  a  considerable 
time,  and  yet  had  never  stung  me. 

Such  incidents  as  these  may  be  thought  by 
some  too  trivial  to  be  mentioned;  but  I  trust 
I  shall  ever  be  enabled  to  look  upon  my  de- 
liverances from  danger  of  this  and  every  other 
kind,  as  the  secret  but  certain  effects  of  that 
overruling  Providence,  to  whose  care  I  thank- 
fully acknowledge  myself  indebted  for  my 
present  safety.  Many  striking  circumstances 
occurred  during  our  voyage,  to  confirm  this 
truth,  as  will  appear  in  the  sequel. 

The  Edinburgh  having  been  many  years  in 
the  West  Indies,  and  frequently  hove  down, 
was  quite  worm-eaten,  rotten,  and  leaky, 
when  we  sailed  from  Port  Royal.  Before  we 
had  got  through  the  Gulf  of  Florida,  the  leaks 


38  LIFE  OF 

increased  to  such  a  degree,  that  when  we 
reached  the  Atlantic,  the  hope  of  safety  had 
nearly  expired;  and  from  fatigue,  and  the 
dread  of  sinking,  a  solemn  seriousness  per- 
vaded the  whole  crew.  So  awfully  alarming 
was  our  situation,  that  I  well  remember  the 
captain's  reproving  an  officer  for  laughing. 
On  a  very  moderate  calculation,  we  pumped 
out  at  least  two  thousand  tons  of  water  a  day ! 
However  incredible  this  may  appear,  it  cer- 
tainly was  the  case  for  several  weeks;  and 
some  days,  it  amounted  to  double  that  quan- 
tity. Beside  the  chain-pumps,  that  are  sup- 
posed to  throw  out  two  or  three  tons  in  a 
minute,  we  had  also  four  hand-pumps  in  use, 
and  were  frequently  obliged  to  bale  with  buck- 
ets from  the  fore-hold.  In  this  deplorable 
<;ondition,  on  the  12th  of  October,  1760,  we 
sustained  the  shock  of  one  of  the  most  vio- 
lent tempests  that  perhaps  had  ever  been 
known.  Those  who  had  been  at  sea  for 
many  years,  and  we  had  several  such  on 
board,  particularly  the  captain,  who  had  been 
round  the  world  with  Lord  Anson,  all  agreed 
they  had  never  seen  a  hurricane  continue  so 
long  with  such  unabated  fury.  Three  days 
and  three  nights  we  were  exposed  to  its  un- 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  39 

controllable  power.  To  those  who  have  never 
experienced  a  tempest  at  sea,  it  may  be  diffi- 
cult to  give  a  just  idea  of  it,  yet  something  of 
our  distressed  situation  may  be  conceived  from 
its  dreadful  and  destructive  effects.  When  it 
first  came  on,  we  were  under  a  double-reefed 
mainsail  and  foresail,  both  of  which  it  tore  to 
pieces,  and  blew  overboard  like  a  sheet  of  thin 
paper;  and  when  a  new  mainsail  was  with 
difficulty  bent  and  set,  it  shared  the  same  fate. 
Nothing  but  the  mast  and  yard  now  remained, 
and  these  were  expected  every  moment  to 
follow.  At  first,  the  force  of  the  wind  was  so 
great  that  the  waves  could  not  rise,  but  were 
compelled  to  dash  and  break  into  a  white 
foam,  so  that  the  whole  ocean,  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach,  appeared,  in  the  day-time, 
like  an  extended  plain  of  driven  snow,  and  at 
night  like  an  immense  forest  on  fire.  This 
terrific  scene  was  soon  succeeded  by  another; 
the  sea  began  to  rise  "mountains  high,"  and 
beat  with  such  violence  against  our  rotten 
ship,  which  we  could  scarcely  keep  above 
water  in  a  calm,  that  it  seemed  next  to  impos- 
sible to  keep  her  from  foundering.  Unable  to 
keep  her  to  the  wind,  we  were  obliged  to  scud 
before  it  without  any  sail,  at  an  amazing  rate. 


40  LIFE  OF 

rolling  the  quarter-deck  guns  under  water, 
her  sides  separating  some  inches  from  the 
deck,  one  of  the  quarter  galleries  heing  wash- 
ed away,  and  the  water  pouring  in,  in  torrents, 
and  carrying  all  before  it.  Had  the  storm 
continued  but  a  few  hours  longer,  we  must 
inevitably  have  perished.  The  Lord  beheld 
with  pity  our  perilous  situation,  and  (to  speak 
in  the  language  of  Scripture,)  "  rebuked  the 
wind,  and  said  unto  the  sea.  Peace,  be  still," 
Mark  iv.  39.  Our  astonishment  was  some- 
thing like  that  of  the  disciples  on  the  occasion 
alluded  to  ver.  41;  for  almost  instantaneously 
about  noon  on  the  third  day,  the  whole  hori- 
zon cleared  up,  the  wind  gradually  subsided 
to  a  gentle  breeze,  and  the  whole  face  of  the 
ocean  was  changed.  But  not  so  the  hearts  of 
those  on  board.  If  I  may  judge  by  myself, 
very  few,  if  any,  were  truly  sensible  of  this 
great  deliverance.  I  might,  indeed,  unite 
with  some  others  in  thanking  God  with  the 
tongue;  but  that,  alas!  was  the  utmost  extent 
of  my  gratitude. 

On  looking  round  for  the  fleet  under  our 
care,  though  there  were  fifty-two  sail  in  sight 
when  the.  storm  began,  not  a  single  ship  was 
now  to  be  seen.     Many  of  them  had  made  the 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  41 

signals  of  distress,  and  we  afterwards  learned 
that  seven  of  them  were  never  heard  of  more. 
We  had  one  man  washed  overboard,  and  seve- 
ral much  hurt,  and  although  we  did  not  all 
perish,  we  still  continued  in  the  most  immi- 
nent danger.  The  uncommon  agitation  of  the 
ship,  during  the  tempest,  had  greatly  increased 
her  leaks;  to  stop  which  all  possible  means 
were  used,  but  without  effect.  From  constant 
labour,  and  a  very  short  allowance  of  fresh 
water,  with  salt  provisions,  the  men  began  to 
fall  sick;  and,  what  was  very  alarming,  the 
leathers  of  the  chain-pumps  were  nearly  worn 
out,  and  every  day  became  less  useful.  To 
heighten  the  dismal  prospect,  we  were  many 
hundred  miles  further  from  land  than  before 
the  commencement  of  the  hurricane,  and 
were  totally  undetermined  what  course  to 
steer.  However,  on  the  16th  of  October, 
1760,  the  day  after  the  storm,  early  in  the 
morning,  a  vessel  was  descried  at  some  dis- 
tance, to  which,  imagining  her  to  be  one  of 
our  convoy,  we  crowded  sail,  fired  guns,  and 
hoisted  signals  of  distress.  When  she  per- 
ceived us,  she  bore  down  within  hail,  and 
proved  to  be  a  Virginia  trader,  laden  with  to- 
bacco, and  bound  to  Whitehaven.  A  boat 
D  2 


42  LIFE  OF 

was  immediately  sent  on  board,  with  an  officer, 
to  examine  whether  she  was  large  enough  to 
hold  the  Edinburgh's  complement  of  men, 
(which  was  six  hundred)  with  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  provisions  to  carry  them  to  the 
nearest  port,  in  case  it  should  be  found  neces- 
sary to  leave  his  Majesty's  ship  to  sink  at  sea; 
but  upon  examination  it  was  found  that  she 
had  not  the  means  of  accommodating  three 
hundred,  much  less  our  whole  complement, 
exclusive  of  provisions.  She  was  therefore 
ordered  to  keep  company  with  us  till  the  next 
morning,  to  receive  despatches  for  the  Admi- 
ralty. The  captain  then  called  all  the  officers 
into  his  cabin  to  consult  with  them  upon  the 
best  means  which  could  be  taken,  for  the  pre- 
servation of  the  ship  and  the  lives  of  all  on 
board.  The  wind  being  fair,  it  was  soon 
unanimously  agreed,  that  we  should  bear 
away  for  the  "trade  winds,"  get  into  smooth 
water,  and  steer  for  Antigua,  the  nearest  port, 
where  we  could  be  refitted.  This  was  a  very 
unexpected  resolution  to  all  on  board,  and  a 
great  disappointment  to  us  passengers,  who 
had  no  disposition  to  revisit  the  West  Indies. 
But  where  life  is  at  stake,  the  least  glimmer- 
ing of  hope  is  eagerly  pursued;  consequently 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  43 

the  inclinations  of  a  few  individuals  were  not 
consulted.  About  noon  the  next  day  a  sig- 
nal was  made  for  the  Virginia  trader  to  bear 
down  for  despatches  and  other  letters  for 
England.  However,  whilst  all  pens  were  at 
work,  it  was  hinted  by  one  of  the  passengers, 
that  although  this  vessel  could  not  contain  six 
hundred  men,  she  might  very  easily  accom- 
modate us,  who  were  but  seven  in  number, 
and  no  way  bound  to  risk  our  lives  in  a  king's 
ship  with  those  who  belonged  to  her.  No 
sooner  was  the  thought  communicated  to  the 
rest  than  it  was  eagerly  embraced ;  and  appli- 
cation was  immediately  made  to  captain  Lang- 
don,  requesting  permission  to  seize  on  this  fa- 
vourable opportunity  of  returning  to  England. 
He  readily  granted  our  request,  and  one  of 
us  went  on  board  the  vessel  by  the  first  boat, 
and  agreed  with  the  captain  for  our  passage  to 
Whitehaven.  A  little  before  sun-set  we  all 
embarked,  after  having  taken  a  sorrowful  fare- 
well of  our  unhappy  friends,  whom  we  never 
expected  to  see  or  hear  of  more.  The  next 
morning  the  wind  being  fair  for  them,  and 
foul  for  us,  we  soon  lost  sight  of  each  other. 
Before  I  continue  my  narrative  of  what  oc- 
curred to  us  in  the  Whitehaven  vessel,  I  must 


44  LIFE  OF 

glance  at  what  befel  the  ship  we  had  just  left, 
and  reflect  for  a  moment  on  the  mysterious 
hand  of  Providence,  which  so  unexpectedly- 
removed  us  from  one  to  the  other.  We  had 
not  long  separated,  before  the  wind  became  fair 
for  us,  but  against  them.  In  this  very  distress- 
ing situation,  almost  given  up  to  despair,  they 
providentially  fell  in  with  an  English  seventy- 
four,  which  greatly  assisted  in  stopping  their 
leaks,  furnished  them  with  materials  for  re- 
pairing their  chain-pumps,  supplied  them  with 
fresh  water,  and  having  induced  them  to 
change  their  resolution  of  returning  to  the 
West  Indies,  brought  them  safe  into  Ply- 
mouth, a  fortnight  before  we  arrived  at 
Whitehaven! 

Thus  we  often  behold  the  sovereign  Dis- 
poser of  events,  by  trivial  circumstances,  sud- 
denly defeat  and  overturn  the  wisest  counsels 
of  the  most  sagacious  of  his  creatures!  How 
unexpected  was  our  removal  from  the  Edin- 
burgh !  Who  would  not  say  it  was  a  wise 
step?  Yet  we  afterwards  repented  taking  it, 
although  we  never  entertained  a  thought  that 
the  crazy,  rotten  ship  we  left  steering  for  the 
West  Indies,  could  arrive  in  England  before 
us.     When  men  who  live  "  without  God  in 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  45 

the  world,"  Eph.  ii.  12,  meet  with  such  sud- 
den and  unexpected  changes,  they  never  re- 
gard them  in  any  other  light  than  as  the  effect 
of  chance;  or  as  events  which  daily  happen  in 
the  common  course  of  things.  But  surely  that 
God,  who  numbers  the  hairs  of  the  head,  and 
ordains  the  sparrow's  fall.  Matt.  x.  29,  30, 
will  never  let  matters  of  far  greater  conse- 
quence pass  without  his  notice,  or  suffer 
events  to  take  place,  big  with  importance  to 
his  rational  creatures,  without  his  special  di- 
rection. I  have  often  been  amused  in  specu- 
lating on  what  would  have  been  the  future 
course  of  my  life,  if  such  and  such  incidents, 
trivial  in  appearance,  had  not  come  to  pass. 
For  instance:  had  I  remained  in  the  Edin- 
burgh, in  all  probability  I  should  have  moved 
in  a  very  different  line  of  life  from  that  in 
which  I  am  now  engaged.  I  certainly  should 
not  have  been  a  marine  officer,  for  there  was 
a  purser's  warrant  lying  for  me  at  the  Admi- 
ralty when  the  Edinburgh  arrived  in  Eng- 
land. If  a  purser,  I  must  have  formed  very 
different  connexions  from  those  into  wliich  I 
was  afterwards  led.  In  these  visionary  wan- 
derings I  have  been  frequently  constrained  to 
admire  the  wisdom,  power,  and  goodness  of 


46  LIFE  OF 

a  compassionate  God,  in  ordering  and  over- 
ruling ail  these  circumstances,  to  promote  his 
own  glory,  and  my  permanent  happiness.  As 
a  marine  officer,  I  became  acquainted  with  re- 
ligious people,  who  directed  me  to  heaven: 
had  I  been  a  purser,  it  is  very  probable  I  might 
have  fallen  among  deists  and  atheists,  who 
would  have  led  me  with  themselves  to  de- 
struction. "  Bless  the  Lord,  0  my  soul,  and 
forget  not  all  his  benefits!'^  Psalm  ciii.  2. 

Christians  are  said  to  be  the  "  salt  of  the 
earth,"  Matt.  v.  13.  Happy  was  it  for  us, 
that  there  was  at  least  one  such  character  in 
the  ship  I  was  now  on  board.  The  captain 
was  an  upright,  godly  man,  w^hose  unaffected 
piety  and  fervent  zeal  in  his  Master's  cause, 
were  like  "  pricks  in  our  eyes,  and  thorns  in 
our  sides;"  damping  the  gratification  of  our 
favourite  vices,  though  he  could  not  entirely 
prevent  them.  For  the  sake  of  propriety, 
we  were  obliged  to  join  with  him  every  day 
in  public  worship;  but  neither  his  pious  ex- 
ample nor  his  friendly  admonitions  could  pre- 
vail on  us  to  leave  off  gaming,  swearing,  and 
drinking.  On  the  fourth  of  November,  1760, 
we  began  to  look  out  for  land,  but  were  not 
favoured  with  a  sight  of  it  till  the  7th,  when 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  47 

we  entered  St.  George's  Channel;  but  the 
wind  blowing  strong  for  two  days,  right 
against  our  reaching  Whitehaven,  we  were 
obliged  to  bear  up  for  the  Irish  coast,  and  on 
the  9th,  about  sun-set,  we  came  to  an  anchor 
in  Lough  Swilly,  where  we  remained  some 
days  weather-bound. 

How  wonderfully  mysterious  are  the  appa- 
rently dark  and  intricate  paths  through  which 
the  God  of  providence  frequently  leads  his 
people!  And  how  various,  yet  constantly 
uniform,  are  the  powerful  operations  of  his 
blessed  Spirit,  in  calling  them  from  the  dark- 
ness of  nature  into  the  glorious  light  of  the 
gospel !  A  few  years  before,  one  of  the  tro- 
phies of  sovereign  grace,  with  whom  I  have 
passed  many  pleasant  hours  in  spiritual  con- 
verse, the  Rev.  John  Newton,  was  miracu- 
lously preserved,  and  brought  to  this  very 
place.  How  different  his  experience  from 
mine?  '^  We  have  not,"  as  he  beautifully 
describes  in  the  10th  letter  of  his  narrative, 
"  met  with  the  same  wind  and  weather,  been 
ready  to  perish  in  the  same  storm  of  tempta- 
tion, nor  always  encountered  the  same  ene- 
mies;"— but  I  trust  it  is  nevertheless  true, 
that  "  we  have  had  the  same  compass  to  steer 


48  LIFE  OF 

by,  and  the  same  Polar  Star  and  Sun  of  Righ- 
teousness to  guide  our  faces  Zion-ward." 

If  any  thing  at  this  time  could  render  my 
conversion  more  difficult  than  that  of  the  emi- 
nent person  above  alluded  to,  it  was  the  circum- 
stance of  my  having  a  form  of  godliness  with- 
out the  power,  2  Tim.  iii.  5,  whereas  he  then 
had  none  at  all.  Conscience,  however,  would 
not  sutfer  me  to  neglect  calling  upon  God  in 
prayer,  sometimes  twice  a-day;  and  while  I 
thus  worshipped  him  with  the  lip,  I  consider- 
ed all  as  right,  though  my  heart  was  seldom 
or  never  engaged.  But  conscience,  which 
thus  urged  me  to  pray,  could  not,  with  all  its 
remonstrances,  prevent  me  from  sinning 
when  prompted  thereto  by  custom,  tempta- 
tion, or  the  example  of  others.  I  was  an  en- 
tire stranger  to  true  contrition,  but  rather  for- 
got ray  transgressions  almost  as  soon  as  they 
were  committed.  Thus  blindly  I  cherished 
the  monster  sin  in  my  bosom,  and  for  many 
years  never  perceived  its  hideous  form,  nor 
dreaded  the  awful  consequences.  How  great 
the  compassion  of  that  God,  who  was  daily 
conferring  favours  upon  me,  whilst  I  was 
heaping  up  acts  of  rebellion  against  him! 
May  my  soul  be  deeply  impressed  and  truly 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  49 

humbled  under  this  reflection.      But  to   re- 
turn to  my  narrative. 

On  the  14th  we  sailed  from  Lough  Svvilly, 
and  the  next  day  anchored  in  Ramsay  bay,  in 
the  Isle  of  Man;  where  we  remained  for 
some  days,  until  the  spring-tides  afforded  a 
sufficient  depth  of  water  to  take  us  into 
Whitehaven  harbour.  On  the  morning  of 
the  21st  of  November,  the  wind,  which  had 
blown  exceedingly  hard  all  the  week,  having 
subsided  a  little,  we  seized  the  favourable 
moment,  and  with  some  difficulty,  hove  up 
anchors,  intending,  if  possible,  to  push  into 
Whitehaven  before  night;  but  we  had  scarce- 
ly got  safe  out  of  the  bay,  when  it  grew  thick 
and  hazy,  and  began  to  blow  more  furiously 
than  ever;  so  that  we  could  neither  regain 
our  anchorage,  nor  carry  sufficient  sail  to  ob- 
tain our  destined  port:  having  no  alternative, 
we  kept  running  towards  it,  over  tremendous 
and  terrific  waves.  About  one  o'clock  we 
assembled  in  the  cabin  to  take  some  refresh- 
ment, but  the  motion  of  the  ship  was  so  vio- 
lent, it  was  impossible  to  sit  at  table.  While 
we  were  thus  engaged,  not  apprehending  our 
present  danger,  the  vessel  struck  with  such 
violence  against  a  bank  of  sand,  as  threw  most 

E 


50  LIFE  OF 

of  US  flat  upon  the  deck.  We  were  all  dread- 
fully alarmed;  and  the  scene  that  followed 
made  an  impression  on  my  mind  that  can 
never  be  obliterated. 

As  beings  imagining  they  had  but  a  few 
moments  to  live,  all  strove  with  dying  eager- 
ness to  reach  the  quarter-deck;  but  we  had 
scarcely  raised  ourselves  upright,  when  the 
ship  struck  a  second  time,  more  violently 
than  before,  and  again  threw  us  all  prostrate. 
We  now  considered  our  destruction  as  inevi- 
table. The  most  dreadful  bowlings  and  la- 
mentations were  heard  from  some,  whilst  the 
disfigured  countenances  of  others  manifested 
the  deepest  anguish.  The  scene  was  enough 
to  make  the  heart  of  the  stoutest  sinner  trem- 
ble. Though  I  cannot  exactly  describe  the 
state  of  my  own  mind  at  the  trying  moment, 
I  very  well  remember  the  agony  of  one  of 
my  poor  messmates.  This  man  had  acquired 
considerable  property  in  Jamaica,  and  during 
the  voyage,  like  the  rich  man  in  the  parable, 
Luke  xii.  16,  was  frequently  devising  plans 
of  future  happiness.  At  this  awful  moment 
he  exclaimed  most  bitterly  against  the  treat- 
ment of  Heaven,  that  had  made  him  spend  so 
many  toilsome  years  in  a  scorching  and  un- 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  51 

healthy  climate  to  procure  a  little  wealth; 
and  when  with  pain  and  trouble  he  had  heap- 
ed it  together,  had  tantalized  him  with  a  sight 
of  the  happy  shore  where  he  expected  peace- 
ably to  enjoy  it;  but  now  with  one  cruel,  sud- 
den stroke  had  defeated  all  his  hopes.  The 
cutting  reflections  and  bitter  complaints  which 
came  from  this  man's  mouth  expressed  such 
black  despair,  that  he  appeared  more  like  a 
fiend  of  the  bottomless  pit,  than  a  sinner  yet 
in  the  land  of  hope.  Oh!  how  unlike  in  eve- 
ry respect  to  the  conduct  of  that  exemplary 
Christian,  the  captain  of  the  ship!  When  she 
first  struck,  it  is  rather  remarkable  that  he 
was  kept  from  falling  as  the  rest  of  us  did; 
and  being  providentially  next  the  cabin-door, 
he  ran  immediately  upon  deck,  and  gave  his 
orders  with  so  much  composure  and  wisdom, 
that  he  appeared  to  be  raised  above  the  fear 
of  death,  having  a  smile  on  his  countenance, 
though  speedy  dissolution  seemed  inevitable. 
From  his  exterior  behaviour  at  this  alarming 
moment,  we  may  fairly  conclude  that  he  en- 
joyed the  greatest  peace  and  serenity  within, 
as  a  foretaste  of  that  heaven  of  glory,  into 
which,  to  all  appearance,  he  was  just  entering. 
When  we  reached  the  deck,  saw  our  danger, 


62  LIFE  OF 

and  witnessed  his  unshaken  conduct,  we  were 
ready  to  fall  down  and  worship  him,  and  ever 
after  held  him  in  the  highest  esteem.  Were 
there  no  other  advantage  to  be  derived  from 
true  religion,  than  the  composure  of  mind  it 
gives  in  the  time  of  danger,  and  the  blessed 
hope  it  holds  out  in  the  prospect  of  death, 
surely  it  ought  to  be  anxiously  cultivated  by 
rational  beings,  who  are  surrounded  every 
moment  with  dangers  and  deaths  of  various 
descriptions.  By  the  captain's  distinct  or- 
ders the  vessel  was  presently  put  before  the 
wind,  and  thus  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  prevent 
her  striking  a  third  time,  which  in  all  proba- 
bility would  have  stove  her  to  pieces.  In 
this  case  all  hope  of  preservation  must  have 
vanished;  for  the  ship's  boat,  if  it  could  have 
contained  us  all,  could  not  have  swam  five 
minutes  in  such  a  tempestuous  sea;  and  our 
distance  from  the  shore  excluded  all  hope  of 
being  saved  in  any  other  way.  Indeed,  it 
was  next  to  a  miracle  that  the  ship  did  not 
founder  at  the  first  or  second  shock.  It  can 
only  be  accounted  for,  from  the  goodness  of 
a  compassionate  God,  who  in  the  midst  of 
wrath  remembered  mercy,  and  spared  the 
whole    for   the   sake   of  one   real  Christian. 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  53 

Through  divine  goodness  we  were  soon  de- 
livered from  our  fears.  Upon  sounding  the 
ship's  well,  we  found  that  she  did  not  admit 
more  water  than  usual.  Still  an  awful  dread 
hung  over  us  of  what  might  befal  us,  during 
the  long,  dark  night  just  approaching;  close 
on  a  lee-shore,  blowing  a  hurricane,  and  afraid 
to  carry  sail  to  work  off,  lest  the  vessel,  from 
the  severe  shocks  she  had  suffered,  should  be 
overstrained. 

The  captain  determined  not  to  keep  the  sea 
that  night,  but  to  run  at  all  events  for  the 
light  on  Whitehaven  pier-head.  The  danger 
was  great  if  he  should  overshoot  the  mark 
but  a  few  feet  on  either  side.  He  took  the 
hehii  himself,  and  trusting  to  that  omniscient 
God  to  whom  the  darkness  and  the  light  are 
both  alike.  Psalm  cxxxix.  12,  he  piloted  us 
safe  into  our  long  desired  haven;  and  before 
ten  o'clock  that  night,  we  were  all  safely 
landed. 

Who  would  not  suppose,  after  such  won- 
derful deliverances,  that  we  should  all  have 
been  anxious  to  express  our  gratitude  to  God, 
who  had  so  graciously  preserved  our  lives? 
For  my  own  part  it  was  quite  the  reverse. 
The  shameful  truth  must  not  be  concealed. 
E  2 


54  LIFE  OF 

This  unmerited  kindness  had  not  the  least 
effect  on  my  future  conduct.  Perhaps  on 
stepping  out  of  the  ship,  I  might  carelessly 
thank  God  that  I  was  once  more  on  shore; 
but  even  this  feeling  soon  passed  away. 

The  ingratitude  of  man  in  his  unregenerate 
state  is  beyond  all  conception  astonishing! 
Repeated  terrors,  and  doubly  repeated  mer- 
cies, perils,  and  deliverances  from  death  itself, 
in  all  its  hideous  forms,  will  prove  ineffectual 
to  rouse  the  sinner  to  a  sense  of  gratitude. 
Only  the  Spirit  of  God,  by  his  quickening  in- 
fluence, can  effect  the  gracious  work.  This 
solemn  truth,  alas!  was  too  fully  confirmed  in 
me.  Notwithstanding  all  that  had  passed,  I 
continued  to  drink  into  the  spirit  of  the  world 
with  as  much  eagerness  as  ever;  was  not  only 
found  delighting  in  all  its  foolish  pleasures  and 
vanities,  as  far  as  my  pecuniary  circumstances 
would  allow;  but  was  too  frequently  drawn 
into  the  commission  of  grosser  sins,  with  lit- 
tle or  no  remorse.  A  few  days  after  our  sig- 
nal deliverance,  I  well  remember  spending  the 
evening  in  a  gentleman's  house  at  cards,  and, 
though  never  habitually  given  to  drinking,  I 
afterwards  became  so  completely  intoxicated, 
that  I  was  removed  in  a  senseless  state  to 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  55 

another  part  of  the  room ;  and,  when  the  com- 
pany broke  up,  was  carried  through  the  streets 
to  my  lodgings,  more  like  a  brute  than  a  hu- 
man being.  Thus  did  I  requite  the  Almighty 
for  his  preserving  mercy!  What  will  not  the 
human  mind  be  guilty  of,  when  left  to  its  own 
propensities!  In  reviewing  the  past,  I  have 
enough  to  humble  me,  to  mourn  over,  and  be 
ashamed  of,  all  my  days. 

Undetermined  what  course  to  take,  and 
having  little  or  no  money  to  discharge  my 
lodgings,  I  waited  three  weeks  at  White- 
haven, until  I  should  hear  from  my  parents, 
or  some  of  my  relations  in  Scotland. 

I  dreaded  the  receipt  of  a  letter  from  my 
father,  knowing  how  much  he  would  be  dis- 
pleased with  the  hasty  step  I  had  taken  in 
leaving  Jamaica.  I  was  not  disappointed  in 
what  I  feared;  for  he  sent  a  long  epistle, 
sharply  reproving  me  for  my  very  inconsi- 
derate conduct;  at  the  same  time  laying  open 
the  distressing  state  of  his  own  affairs  in  such 
a  feeling  manner,  that  I  regretted  as  much  as 
he  did  the  rashness  of  my  late  decision.  But 
it  was  now  too  late  to  repent,  and  I  had  the 
satisfaction  to  find,  that  notwithstanding  my 
father's  displeasure,  his  parental  affection  was 


56  LIFE  OF 

not  abated.  He  pitied  my  situation,  and  sent 
a  sufficiency  to  supply  my  present  wants. 
Among  other  domestic  intelligence,  he  in- 
formed me  of  the  death  of  my  pious  grand- 
father, with  whom  I  was  brought  up  in  my 
youth,  and  who  was  dear  to  me  on  many  ac- 
counts. The  venerable  saint  had  reached  his 
ninetieth  year,  and  in  his  dying  moments 
prayed  for  me,  and  expressed  a  very  anxious 
concern  for  my  welfare.  The  manner  in 
which  my  father  communicated  this  circum- 
stance, affected  me  very  much;  and  for  a  time 
it  threw  a  veil  of  seriousness  over  my  outward 
deportment:  but  the  impression  soon  wore  off, 
and  I  returned  to  my  old  sinful  course,  having 
all  my  thoughts,  words,  and  actions,  almost 
wholly  directed  to  temporal  enjoyments. 

On  the  13th  of  December,  1760,  I  began 
my  journey  to  London;  and  having  no  in- 
ducement to  be  expeditious,  I  thought  it  my 
duty  to  be  careful  of  the  little  pittance  I  had, 
and  therefore  chose  the  cheapest  rather  than 
the  quickest  mode  of  travelling:  sometinries 
walking,  sometimes  riding  on  horseback,  but 
mostly  in  the  stage  wagon.  At  the  end  of 
three  weeks,  I  arrived  in  Cheapside.  If  the 
Lord  had  not  been  with  me  now,  what  would 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  57 

have  become  of  me?  I  shudder  at  the  thought! 
In  the  centre  of  a  profligate  city,  exposed  to 
all  its  alluring  vices,  with  a  constitution  ready- 
to  comply  with  the  first  temptation,  and  not  a 
friend  to  compassionate  or  direct  me;  was  it 
not  more  than  probable  that  I  should  take  a 
wrong  rather  than  a  right  step?  Especially 
as  my  pecuniary  resources  were  so  nearly  ex- 
hausted, that  I  had  not  more  than  sufficient  to 
defray  my  expenses  through  half  of  another 
week.  Glory  to  God !  He  did  not  suffer  me 
to  fall  in  this  dangerous  situation;  but  brought 
me  at  last  through  every  difficulty,  and  placed 
me  in  that  line  of  life  in  which  I  continue  to 
the  present  day:  yet,  not  before  he  had  en- 
tirely overturned  all  my  own  plans,  as  well  as 
those  of  my  friends. 

The  first  step  I  took,  after  my  arrival  in 
London,  was  to  wait  on  one  of  my  fellow- 
passengers,  a  man  of  property  in  Jamaica, 
who,  intending  to  return  thither,  had,  in  the 
course  of  our  short  acquaintance,  promised  to 
take  me  with  him  as  a  clerk,  in  case  I  was  not 
better  provided  for  at  home.  Thus,  however 
courageous  I  was  in  my  determination  to  leave 
that  wicked  and  unhealthy  island,  thinking  I 
could  go  through  any  hardship  rather  than  re- 


58  LIFE  OF 

main  there;  5^et,  when  it  came  to  the  push, 
poverty  and  wretchedness  fast  approaching, 
my  heart  failed,  and  I  determined  one  way 
or  other  to  effect  my  return.  My  pretended 
friend  received  me  coolly,  stating  that  he  had 
made  up  his  mind  to  remain  in  England,  and 
was  sorry  that  he  could  do  nothing  for  me;  I 
therefore  immediately  resolved,  as  a  last  re- 
source, to  ship  myself  off"  in  the  first  vessel 
I  should  meet  with  bound  to  Jamaica,  well 
knowing  I  could  there  find  immediate  em- 
ployment. What  a  mercy  that  I  was  not  suf- 
fered to  put  this  design  into  execution!  The 
very  thought  of  it,  at  this  distance  of  time, 
makes  me  shudder!  Had  not  the  Lord  inter- 
posed, I  should  in  all  probability  have  return- 
ed, and  died  there,  a  perfect  stranger  to  every 
thing  good.  Fully  bent  on  this  plan,  I  thought 
it  was  my  duty,  first  to  deliver  some  messages 
my  father  had  given  me  to  particular  friends 
in  London,  and  accordingly  went  early,  in  the 
morning  of  the  third  day  after  my  arrival,  to 
my  father's  agent,  on  Tower-hill;  but  how 
great  was  my  surprise,  after  having  made 
myself  known,  to  be  informed  that  I  was  ap- 
pointed purser  of  the  Sea-horse  man-of-war. 
With  a  mixture  of  joy  and  fear,  I  eagerly  in- 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  59 

quired  further.  He  told  me  the  warrant  had 
been  given  to  my  father  some  weeks  before, 
but  he,  declining  to  accept  of  it,  had  prevailed 
with  his  patron.  Sir  Harry  Erskine,  to  have  it 
filled  up  in  my  name.  Overjoyed  at  this  very 
unexpected  good  news,  I  set  off  with  all  pos- 
sible speed,  to  pay  my  respects  to  my  gene- 
rous benefactor.  But,  alas!  this  promised  joy, 
like  all  others  in  the  present  world,  was  very 
transient.  Sir  Harry  told  me  that  I  had, 
through  his  influence,  been  appointed  purser 
of  the  Sea-horse;  but  as  he  had  not  been  able 
to  get  any  intelligence  of  me  among  my  fa- 
ther's friends  in  London,  and  as  the  ship  was 
ready  to  sail,  the  Admiralty  had  given  the 
warrant  to  another  person  only  eight  days  be- 
fore. 

How  clearly  do  these  incidents  mark  the 
intentions  of  an  all-wise  Providence  towards 
me.  Had  I  come  home  in  the  Edinburgh,  I 
certainly  should  have  been  purser  of  the  Sea- 
horse; or  if  I  had  remained  three  hours  longer 
in  Whitehaven,  I  should,  as  I  afterwards  as- 
certained, have  received  another  letter  from 
my  father,  informing  me  of  this  appointment; 
and  of  course  I  should  have  posted  to  London 
to  take  up  my  warrant.     But  no!     This  was 


60  LIFE  OF  •' 

not  the  will  of  my  heavenly  Father.  How- 
ever I  might  then  grieve  and  murmur,  at  what 
I  called  an  adverse  Providence,  I  now  clearly 
see  his  wisdom  and  goodness  in  ordering  it  as 
he  did.  All  hope  of  procuring  a  situation  in 
London  being  at  an  end,  I  opened  my  case  to 
Sir  Harry,  and  begged  the  favour  of  his  in- 
terest to  do  something  for  me.  He  very 
obligingly  said  he  would  try  to  get  me  a 
commission  in  the  marines,  but  observed  he 
had  very  little  hope  of  succeeding. 

No  sooner  had  I  made  my  bow,  than  I 
again  determined  to  pursue  my  former  reso- 
lution of  returning  to  the  West  Indies.  0 
what  shall  I  render  to  the  Lord,  who  would 
not  suffer  me  thus  to  run  headlong  to  destruc- 
tion! While  depriving  me  of  every  prospect 
of  being  comfortably  settled  in  the  world,  he 
was  secretly  leading  me  through  the  intricate 
mazes  of  his  providence,  in  a  way  that  I  knew 
not,  that  at  the  end  I  might  be  constrained  to 
exclaim,  with  the  Israelites  on  Mount  Carmel, 
<'The  Lord,  he  is  God,"  1  Kings  xviii.  39. 

From  Sir  Harry  Erskine's,  I  went  directly 
to  Chelsea,  to  call  on  a  Mrs.  Hay,  one  of  my 
father's  friends;  and  although  I  had  never 
seen  this  lady  before,  the  Lord  inclined  her 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  61 

heart  to  become  a  true  and  valuable  friend  to 
me  also.  And  surely  never  poor  mortal  had 
more  need  of  one  than  I,  behig  at  that  time 
reduced  to  my  last  shilling.  How  seasonably 
the  Lord's  mercies  are  distributed!  It  has 
been  well  observed  by  Dr.  Watts: 

"  Just  in  the  last  distressing  hour 
The  Lord  displays  delivering  power." 

I  have  often  proved  it  so  in  my  weary  pil- 
grimage through  life,  and  particularly  at  this 
juncture,  though  I  did  not  see  then  as  I  do 
now.  When  Mrs.  Hay  knew  who  I  was,  and 
was  made  acquainted  with  my  situation,  she 
first  very  kindly  invited  me  to  remain  in  her 
house,  and  afterwards  treated  me  more  like  a 
son  than  a  stranger.  She  supplied  my  pecu- 
niary wants,  and  purchased  several  articles  of 
apparel  in  which  I  was  deficient.  After  some 
days,  she  advised  me  to  go  to  her  husband  on 
board  the  Royal  George,  who  was  then  secre- 
tary to  Sir  Edward  Hawke,  who  might  have 
it  in  his  power  to  provide  for  me  in  the  line 
of  a  purser;  and  in  the  meantime  I  was  sure 
to  be  employed  as  a  clerk  in  his  office,  and 
should  be  upon  the  spot  if  any  thing  desirable 
occurred.     This  I  much  approved  of,  and  by 

F 


6^  LIFE  OF 

her  advice,  waited  on  Sir  H.  Erskine  to  in- 
form him  where  he  would  find  me,  in  case  he 
should  have  it  in  his  power  to  make  good  his 
promise. 

On  the  14th  of  January,  1761,  I  set  oflf  in 
the  stage-coach  for  Portsmouth,  having  at  last 
relinquished  my  visionary  plan  of  returning 
to  Jamaica. 

Though  I  am  anxious  to  shorten  my  narra- 
tive as  much  as  possible,  yet  I  cannot  forbear 
taking  notice  of  some  of  the  providential  mer- 
cies I  experienced  at  this  period. 

Before  we  reached  Portsmouth,  the  coach 
being  full  of  passengers,  was  overturned,  and 
the  coachman  thrown  from  his  box;  yet  not 
one  person  was  in  the  least  hurt,  not  even  an 
infant  who  fell  from  its  mother's  arms,  in  the 
inside,  and  was  found  beneath  us.  Had  the 
horses  taken  fright,  the  consequences  might 
have  been  fatal. 

On  my  arrival  at  Portsmouth,  I  fully  ex- 
pected to  find  the  Royal  George  at  Spithead, 
or  to  procure  a  speedy  passage  to  her  in  the 
bay,  where  she  was  cruising;  but  in  this  I  was 
disappointed,  and  must  have  gone  on  board  of 
the  guard-ship,  had  not  the  Lord,  who  never 
forsook  me  in  an  extremity,  inclined  the  heart 


3IAJ0R  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  63 

of  one  of  my  coach  companions  to  invite  me 
to  stay  with  him  on  board  the  Blenheim  hos- 
pital ship,  till  a  convenient  opportunity  should 
offer  of  going  out  to  the  Royal  George.  Here 
I  remained  upwards  of  three  weeks,  when 
finding  that  the  only  certain  conveyance  to 
the  men-of-war  off  Brest,  was  from  Plymouth, 
1  determined  to  go  thither,  and  accordingly 
embarked  on  board  the  Cormorant  fire-ship, 
under  orders  for  that  port.  Here  again,  I 
found  myself  in  a  great  strait:  my  finances 
being  exhausted,  I  had  not  wherewith  to  pay 
my  quota,  if  I  messed  with  the  petty  officers; 
but  the  surgeon  of  the  Blenheim  had  recom- 
mended me  to  the  captain,  who  very  obliging- 
ly invited  me  to  his  table. 

These  are  trivial  incidents;  but  they  were 
very  important  ones  to  me  at  that  time,  and  I 
wish  ever  to  remember  them  as  marks  of  di- 
vine care  for  me;  and  as  such,  I  shall  here 
mention  another  of  a  similar  kind.  Being 
detained  on  board  the  Cormorant,  at  Cowes, 
in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  for  nearly  a  month,  by 
strong  westerly  winds,  I  grew  weary;  and 
being  anxious  to  know  something  about  the 
Royal  George,  I  set  off  early  one  fine  morn- 
ing in  the  passage-boat  for  Portsmouth,  pur- 


64  LIFE  OF 

posely  to  inquire  at  the  admiraPs  office,  if  she 
were  soon  expected  in  port.  I  fully  intended 
to  return  to  Cowes  by  the  first  boat,  as  I  had 
but  just  money  enough  left  for  this  purpose; 
but,  to  my  great  sorrow,  about  noon  it  began 
to  blow  a  most  violent  gale,  so  that  none  of 
the  boats  would  venture  out  for  several  days. 
Never  was  I  placed  in  a  more  distressing 
situation.  A  perfect  stranger  in  Portsmouth, 
with  only  a  few  pence  in  my  pocket,  I  con- 
tinued walking  round  and  round  the  ramparts 
nearly  the  whole  day,  till  I  was  so  completely 
worn  out  with  fatigue  and  hunger,  that  the 
violence  of  the  wind  almost  drove  me  off  my 
legs.  Night  was  approaching.  Finding  it 
impossible  to  continue  in  this  state  much 
longer,  and  being  well  nigh  distracted,  I  be- 
gan to  devise  schemes  where  I  should  rest, 
and  how  I  could  satisfy  a  craving  appetite. 
At  last  I  fixed  on  the  following  expedient: 
having  a  pair  of  silver  buckles  on  my  shoes, 
the  gift  of  an  affectionate  sister,  I  determined, 
though  grieved  at  the  deed,  to  take  them  to 
some  Jew  in  the  town,  and  exchange  them  for 
metal  ones;  in  hope  that  the  overplus  would 
procure  me  a  lodging  and  purchase  some  food. 
Just  as  I  was  stepping  off  the  rampart  to  put 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  65 

my  plan  into  execution,  I  was  accosted  in  a 
very  friendly  manner  by  an  old  acquaintance, 
who  shook  me  by  the  hand,  and  asked  me  if 
I  had  dined.  When  I  answered  in  the  nega- 
tive, he  replied,  "Then  come  along  with  me, 
we  are  just  in  time."  By  this  friend  I  was 
plentifully  supplied  for  a  few  days,  till  the 
weather  permitted  me  to  return  to  the  Cor- 
morant at  Cowes.  Thus  the  same  compas- 
sionate God  who  feeds  the  ravens  when  they 
cry.  Psalm  cxlvii.  9,  was  at  no  loss  to  find 
means  to  supply  the  wants  of  an  ungrateful 
mortal,  who  did  not  then  seek  him  by  prayer, 
nor  acknowledge  the  benefit  so  seasonably  be- 
stowed. 

But  having  since  been  several  times  at 
Portsmouth,  I  have  walked  round  the  ram- 
parts with  a  glad  heart,  in  the  recollection  of 
his  mercy,  praising  the  Lord  under  a  feeling 
sense  of  his  goodness. 

Two  days  after  my  return,  the  Cormorant 
sailed  for  Plymouth;  but  no  sooner  had  I 
landed  there  to  inquire  for  the  Royal  George, 
than  I  was  informed  she  had  just  arrived  at 
Spithead! 

I  obtained  a  passage  back  to  Portsmouth  in 
the  Southampton  frigate,  after  a  short  cruise 
F  2 


66  LIFE  OF 

in  the  channel.  At  length  on  the  16th  of 
March,  after  long  and  anxious  expectation,  I 
got  on  board  the  Royal  George.  My  friend, 
Mr.  Hay,  received  me  with  great  cordiality, 
entered  me  on  the  ship's  books,  and  placed 
me  in  the  admiral's  office  till  something  more 
advantageous  should  offer.  Here  I  enjoyed  a 
quiet  and  easy  life  for  about  two  months,  hav- 
ing little  more  to  do  than  to  write  out  and 
copy  orders;  but  I  still  remained  perfectly  in- 
sensible of  the  goodness  of  God,  and  even 
without  a  thought  that  I  was  in  any  way  in- 
debted to  him  for  my  present  situation. 


COMMISSION  IN  THE   MARINE  SERVICE. 

On  the  22d  of  May  I  was  sent  for  by  the 
commanding  officer,  who  informed  me  that 
my  friend  Sir  Harry  Erskine  had  procured 
me  a  commission  in  the  marines,  and  that  he 
had  received  orders  to  discharge  me  from  the 
Royal  George,  that  I  might  proceed  to  Chat- 
ham, the  division  to  which  I  was  appointed. 
This  was  rejoicing  news,  as  it  placed  me  at 
once  beyond  the  dread  of  future  poverty,  and 
fixed  me  in  a  line  of  life  which  my  proud 
heart  approved,  and  in  which,  through  rich 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.       67 

mercy,  I  have  now  been  preserved  upwards 
of  fifty-three  years.  Having  obtained  from 
my  friend  a  sufficiency  to  pay  my  expenses,  I 
proceeded  to  London,  and  calling  on  my  kind 
benefactress  at  Chelsea,  remained  there  seve- 
ral days,  until  I  was  completely  equipped  as 
an  officer.  On  the  4th  of  June  I  went  to  court 
in  my  uniform,  and  on  the  6th  I  joined  head- 
quarters at  Chatham. 

To  enumerate  the  various  and  multiplied 
mercies,  both  of  a  temporal  and  of  a  spiritual 
nature,  which  I  have  received  at  the  hands  of 
God  in  this  well-known  spot,  would  be  an  un- 
dertaking far  beyond  my  power  to  accomplish. 
Though  infinite  Wisdom  found  it  necessary 
frequently  to  correct  me,  to  prevent  my  fall- 
ing, or  to  restore  my  soul.  Psalm  xxiii,  yet, 
blessed  be  his  name,  he  has  favoured  me  with 
many  visits  of  his  reconciled  countenance,  the 
remembrance  of  which  is  sweet  to  me  at  this 
moment,  when  viewed  as  pledges  of  my  ere 
long  enjoying  the  full  blaze  of  his  glory  in 
heaven.  In  this  town,  ten  years  after  the 
events  I  am  now  narrating,  the  Lord  was  gra- 
ciously pleased  to  reveal  to  my  rejoicing  heart 
the  best  of  all  his  blessings — the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ;  witnessing  by  his  Spirit  that  he  was 


68  LIFE  OF 

bestowed  freely,  "without  money  and  with- 
out price,"  Isaiah  Iv.  1,  that  the  whole  praise 
might  redound  to  his  infinite  mercy.  Of  what 
avail  would  all  his  other  blessings  have  been 
without  this?  This  alone  constitutes  them 
real  blessings.  Without  Christ  Jesus,  I  had 
turned  them  all  into  a  curse.  The  possession 
of  this  "unspeakable  gift,"  2  Cor.  ix.  15,  turns 
every  thing  to  gold:  losses,  crosses,  disap- 
pointments, and  threats  of  every  description, 
are  made  to  answer  the  most  salutary  pur- 
poses; while  riches,  honours,  and  worldly 
prosperity,  without  it,  have  the  seal  of  con- 
demnation visibly  impressed  upon  them. 

For  the  three  years  previous  to  this  period, 
having  been  tossed  about  from  place  to  place, 
in  a  very  unsettled  state,  I  had  little  opportu- 
nity and  much  less  inclination,  to  attend  the 
means  of  grace,  or  to  read  good  books.  But 
now  having  more  spare  time  than  I  well  knew 
how  to  employ,  my  early  habits  involuntarily 
returned  to  my  recollection.  I  began  to  con- 
sider how  I  could  most  advantageously  em- 
ploy my  leisure,  and  accordingly  laid  down  a 
regular  plan  for  the  performance  of  religious 
duties,  to  which  I  strictly  adhered.  Most  of 
my  ancestors  having  been   members   of  the 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  RURN.  69 

church  of  Scotland,  and  having  myself  been 
educated  under  my  pious  grandfather,  a  mi- 
nister of  that  church,  in  West  x\nstruther,  I 
thought  it  was  not  my  duty  to  leave  it,  and 
therefore  joined  a  Presbyterian  congregation 
at  Rochester.  I  constantly  attended  divine 
service,  received  the  sacrament  once  a  month, 
made  a  conscience  of  strictly  performing  my 
private  devotions,  and  I  believe  was  consi- 
dered by  most  who  knew  me,  to  be  a  very 
good  Christian.  Nay,  Pharisee  like,  I  was 
very  much  inclined  to  think  so  myself.  But 
whatever  I  might  be  in  my  own  eyes,  or  in 
the  eyes  of  others,  I  certainly  was  far  from 
being  right  in  the  sight  of  a  pure  and  holy 
God.  As  yet  I  was  ignorant  of  the  depth  of 
iniquity  in  my  depraved  heart;  I  had  but  very 
indistinct  views  of  the  extent  and  spirituality 
of  God's  holy  lavv,  and  no  just  conceptions  of 
the  heinous  nature  and  dreadful  effects  of  sin; 
consequently  could  not  fully  appreciate  the 
value  of  the  precious  blood  shed  to  take  it 
away,  or  heartily  love  or  believe  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  who  was  manifested  to  rescue 
his  people  from  the  bondage  of  sin.  Matt.  i. 
21.  So  far  from  partaking  of  this  happy 
freedom,  I  still  remained  the  willing  slave  to 


70  LIFE  OF 

various  sinful  lusts  and  passions,  and  felt 
no  remorse  in  daily  doing  many  things  I 
should  shudder  to  think  of  now.  Naturally 
led  to  keep  company  with  my  brother  oJQS- 
cers,  though  not  habitually  addicted  to  their 
common  vices  (except  that  of  gaming);  yet 
too  fond  of  associating  with  them,  I  was  im- 
perceptibly induced  to  imitate  their  bad  cus- 
toms, and  too  frequently  their  grosser  sins. 
Thus  I  continued  for  several  months;  and, 
however  strange  it  may  appear,  even  then, 
from  the  severe  checks  of  an  awakened  and 
tender  conscience,  I  made  some  progress  in  a 
religious  life.  Indeed  my  experience  at  this 
period  appears  a  perfect  paradox,  and  obliges 
me  to  relate  things  apparently  irreconcilable, 
because  they  were  true.  Though  I  was  fre- 
quently with  little  remorse  falling  into  sin, 
yet  by  the  power  of  restraining  grace,  I  was 
enabled  to  cut  off  many  sins  as  dear  to  me  as 
a  right  hand,  or  a  right  eye.  Having  had 
great  experience  then,  and  since,  in  these 
painful  operations,  I  would  recommend  it  to 
those  who  are  determined  to  be  ^' on  the 
Lord's  side,"  Exod.  xxxii.  26,  to  be  resolute- 
ly expeditious.  If  a  limb  of  our  body  is  to  be 
amputated,  and  an  unskilful  surgeon,  instead 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  71 

of  doing  it  in  a  few  minutes,  should  keep  saw- 
ing and  cutting  it  for  a  whole  day,  how  dread- 
fully excruciating  would  such  an  operation  be! 
Just  so  it  is  in  a  spiritual  sense;  the  more  you 
prune  and  spare  a  beloved  lust,  the  more  vio- 
lent it  grows,  and  the  more  difficult  afterwards 
to  subdue:  but  if  you  have  courage  effectually 
to  destroy  it  at  one  stroke,  the  soul  is  imme- 
diately set  at  a  happy  liberty.  When  the 
Lord  was  pleased  to  convince  me  of  the  sin 
of  spending  so  much  valuable  tim.e  at  cards, 
(my  whole  attention  and  thoughts  being  car- 
ried after  them)  I  found  it  necessary,  for  the 
peace  of  my  conscience,  to  set  about  a  reforma- 
tion. First  I  vowed,  and  that  very  solemn- 
ly, that  I  would  only  devote  a  certain  time  to 
them,  and  no  more;  but  this  resolution  con- 
tinually failing,  I  next  determined  only  to 
play  for  a  certain  sum  and  never  to  exceed  it. 
When  that  would  not  do,  I  vowed  still  more 
resolutely  to  play  only  for  recreation,  deter- 
mining to  be  careful  in  the  choice  of  the  per- 
sons with  whom  I  played.  But  all  proved  in- 
effectual. The  more  I  resolved,  the  stronger 
grew  the  sin.  A  multitude  of  broken  vows 
heaped  guilt  upon  guilt,  and  brought  an  accu- 
mulated load  of  sorrow  upon  my  mind.     So 


72  LIFE  OF 

much  so,  that  on  one  Lord's-day,  when  I  was 
to  receive  the  sacrament,  before  I  approached 
that  sacred  ordinance,  my  conscience  so  keen- 
ly accused  me  on  account  of  this  beloved  idol, 
that  I  hardly  knew  what  to  do  with  myself. 
I  tried  to  pacify  it  by  a  renewal  of  all  my 
resolutions,  with  many  additions  and  amend- 
ments. I  parleyed  and  reasoned  the  matter 
over  for  hours,  trying,  if  possible,  to  come  to 
some  terms  of  accommodation,  but  still  the 
obstinate  monitor  within  cried  out — "  There's 
an  Achan  in  the  camp:  approach  the  table  of 
the  Lord  if  you  dare."  Scared  at  the  threat, 
and  yet  unwilling  to  part  with  my  darling 
lust,  I  became  like  one  possessed.  Restless 
and  uneasy,  I  flew  out  of  the  house  to  vent 
my  misery  with  more  freedom  in  the  fields, 
under  the  wide  canopy  of  heaven.  Here  I 
was  led  to  meditate  on  the  happiness  of  the 
righteous,  and  the  misery  of  the  wicked  in  a 
future  state.  The  importance  of  eternity  fall- 
ing with  a  ponderous  weight  upon  my  soul, 
raised  such  a  vehement  indignation  against 
"the  accursed  thing"  within,  that,  crying  to 
God  for  help,  I  kneeled  down  under  a  hedge, 
and  taking  heaven  and  earth  to  witness,  wrote 
on  a  piece  of  paper  with  my  pencil  a  solemn 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  73 

VOW  that  I  never  would  play  at  cards,  on  any 
pretence  whatsoever,  so  long  as  I  lived.  No 
sooner  had  I  put  my  name  to  this  solemn 
vow,  than  I  felt  myself  another  creature.  Sor- 
row took  wing  and  flew  away,  and  a  delight- 
ful peace  succeeded.  The  intolerable  burden 
being  removed  from  my  mind,  I  approached 
the  sacred  table  of  the  Lord  with  an  unusual 
degree  of  pleasure  and  delight.  This  was  not 
my  only  idol.  I  had  many  others  to  contend 
with.  But  while  I  was  endeavouring  to  heal 
my  wounded  soul  in  one  place,  ere  I  was 
aware,  sin  broke  out  in  another. 

Yet  still  I  kept  striving,  and  at  that  time 
was  far  from  thinking  myself  unsuccessful: 
conceiving  my  state  a  very  safe  one,  I  was 
comfortable  and  cheerful.  Indeed  I  have  of- 
ten wondered  since  at  the  happiness  I  then 
enjoyed.  The  thought  has  sometimes  almost 
stumbled  me.  I  loved  the  society  of  Chris- 
tians, and  sometimes  had  sweet  communion 
with  God  in  prayer  and  other  ordinances. 
Nay,  I  have  at  times  enjoyed  such  happy  mo- 
ments, such  delightful  intercourse  with  Hea- 
ven, particularly  on  an  evening,  that  after  hav- 
ing recommended  my  soul  to  God  in  fervent 
supplication,  I  have  laid  down  with  the  great- 


74  I'IFE  OF 

est  serenity  of  mind,  and  been  indifferent 
whether  I  should  ever  open  my  eyes  again  in 
this  world  or  not.  My  reliance  at  this  time 
was  not  on  my  own  works,  but  on  the  mercy 
of  God  as  freely  manifested  in  Christ  Jesus. 
Yet  I  remained  a  stranger  to  the  quickening 
power  of  divine  grace  on  my  soul.  The 
sound  doctrines  of  the  gospel  floated  in  my 
head,  but  I  believe  they  had  not  fully,  if  at 
all,  reached  my  heart.  If  I  am  not  much  mis- 
taken, I  was  as  yet  in  a  great  measure  carnal, 
unaffected,  and  ignorant.  The  world  was  nei- 
ther crucified  to  me,  nor  I  to  it;  Gal.  vi.  14. 
I  had  not  learned  wholly  to  deny  myself,  to 
take  up  my  cross,  and  to  follow  Christ;  Mark 
X.  21.  But  whatever  my  state  might  be  at 
that  time,  whether  I  enjoyed  a  true  or  a  false 
peace,  this  one  thing  I  am  sure  of — the  Lord 
in  infinite  mercy  and  goodness  has  since,  by 
various  means,  imperceptibly  brought  me  to 
a  more  feeling  sense  of  my  own  vileness  and 
wretched  state  by  nature,  and  to  a  greater  ac- 
quaintance with  the  iniquity  of  my  depraved 
heart,  and  has  given  me  clearer  apprehensions 
of  his  love  to  lost  sinners,  as  displayed  in  the 
gift  of  his  only  Son  Christ  Jesus.  Though  I 
am  yet  a  babe  in  this  saving  knowledge,  I 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  75 

humbly  trust  he  will  perfect  the  work  he  has 
begun  to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace. 

During  my  stay  at  Chatham,  which  at  this 
time  was  about  a  year  and  a  half,  I  expe- 
rienced, as  I  always  have,  the  goodness  of  the 
Lord,  in  blessing  me  with  spiritual  and  tem- 
poral mercies.  Among  many  others,  I  can- 
not forbear  mentioning  with  what  fatherly 
care  he  led  me  into  the  acquaintance  of  pious 
people,  in  whose  society  I  not  only  acquired 
a  further  knowledge  in  divine  things,  but  was 
kept  from  being  entirely  carried  away  by  the 
wicked  examples  with  which  I  was  daily  sur- 
rounded. Besides,  the  Lord  was  pleased, 
many  years  afterwards,  to  employ  these  same 
persons  as  instruments  to  bring  about  my 
thorough  conversion.  But  the  greatest  rea- 
son which  I  had  at  this  time  to  praise  God, 
was  for  his  bringing  me,  in  a  very  singular 
manner,  to  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the 
person  to  whom  I  was  afterwards  closely 
united  in  the  nearest  of  all  earthly  ties;  al- 
though that  happy  connexion,  through  a  va- 
riety of  dark  and  intricate  providences,  did  not 
take  place  till  nine  or  ten  years  afterwards. 

In  November,  1762, 1  was  sent  with  a  party 
of  marines  to  Harwich,  and  sailed  from  thence 


76  LIFE  OF 

a  few  weeks  afterwards  in  the  T — ,  and  ar- 
rived at  Plymouth  about  the  beginning  of 
1763.  Preliminaries  of  peace  being  signed, 
I  was  ordered  to  disembark,  and  to  wait  for 
a  convenient  opportunity  of  coming  round 
again  with  the  detachment  to  Chatham.  I  re- 
mained a  few  days  at  Plymouth,  then  em- 
barked on  board  the  P —  F — ,  and  soon  after 
joined  head-quarters.  During  this  short  cruise, 
I  experienced  two  very  singular  instances  of 
God's  protecting  mercy.  Indeed,  my  whole 
life  hitherto  has  been  one  continued  scene  of 
such  interpositions;  and  though  I  have  forgot- 
ten the  greatest  part  of  them,  and  thought  but 
little  of  others  when  they  happened,  yet  I 
cannot  forbear  mentioning  some  of  those 
which  are  still  strongly  imprinted  on  my  me- 
mory. May  I  be  enabled  to  do  it  with  a 
thankful  heart!  Foreseeing  that  on  my  dis- 
charge from  the  ship  at  Plj^mouth,  I  should  be 
reduced  to  half-pay,  and  consequently  almost 
as  much  at  a  loss  for  a  proper  settlement  in 
life  as  ever,  I  adopted  an  old  plan  of  returning 
to  the  West  Indies,  and  with  that  view  enter- 
ed into  an  agreement  to  change  duties  with  an 
officer  going  to  the  coast  of  Guinea.  We 
made  a  joint  application  for  leave,  but  without 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  77 

much  success;  for  though  such  a  request  is 
very  readily  granted  in  general,  it  was  abso- 
lutely refused  to  us.  Thus,  greatly  against 
my  inclination,  was  I  obliged,  in  much  mercy, 
to  return  to  Chatham,  where  I  sat  under  the 
glad  sound  of  the  glorious  gospel  of  peace,  in- 
stead of  going  to  an  unhealthy  climate,  where 
I  never  should  have  heard  it,  and  whence,  in 
all  probability,  I  never  should  have  returned. 
The  other  providential  mercy  with  which  I 
was  at  this  time  favoured,  was  a  very  narrow 
escape  from  sudden  death.  The  evening  I 
embarked  on  board  the  P —  F — ,  to  come 
round  to  Chatham,  there  was  a  hammock  put 
up  for  me  in  the  gun-room,  into  which  I  got 
very  carelessly,  never  examining  how  it  was 
hung.  About  day-break,  the  quartermaster 
being  obliged  to  shift  the  helm,  on  account  of 
the  tide's  turning,  the  ship  then  at  anchor  in 
the  Sound,  the  tiller  came  foul  of  my  ham- 
mock, that  was  hung  close  up  to  the  deck,  and 
squeezed  my  head  against  one  of  the  beams. 
I  awoke  rather  surprised,  with  an  unusual  pain 
in  my  head,  but  soon  found  it  was  jammed  so 
fast  between  the  tiller  and  the  beam,  that  I 
could  not  get  it  disengaged.  I  then  cried  out 
for  help,  and  a  midshipman  that  happened  to 
g2 


78  LIFE  OF 

be  there,  seeing  my  distress,  ran  upon  deck, 
shifted  the  hehii,  and  released  me.  Upon  my 
knees,  I  thanked  God  for  this  wonderful  deli- 
verance. With  David,  I  could  say,  "  There 
is  but  a  step  between  me  and  death,'^  1  Sam. 
XX.  3;  for  had  the  quartermaster  continued 
to  turn  the  wheel,  which  he  would  have  done 
if  the  midshipman  had  not  seen  my  situation, 
and  prevented  him,  he  must  have  fractured 
my  skull,  and  put  a  period  to  my  life.  Alas! 
I  was  then  very  ill  prepared  for  dying. 

Soon  after  my  arrival  at  Chatham,  being 
with  many  others  reduced  to  half-pay,  I  set 
oflf  for  London;  and  being  very  desirous  of 
visiting  my  parents,  whom  I  had  not  seen  for 
several  years,  I  engaged  in  the  first  ship  sail- 
ing for  Scotland,  and  arrived  at  my  father's 
house  in  June,  1763.  The  state  of  my  mind 
at  this  time,  as  near  as  I  can  recollect,  was 
that  of  a  proud  Pharisee.  I  had  too  high  an 
opinion  of  my  own  holiness:  and  although  my 
outward  carriage  and  conversation  might  indi- 
cate a  species  of  humility,  the  language  of  my 
heart  was  to  those  around  me,  "Stand  off:  for 
I  am  holier  than  you."  I  foolishly  imagined 
that  I  had  now  attained  to  such  a  happy  pro- 
ficiency in  the  religion  of  Jesus,  that  it  was 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  79 

impossible  for  me  ever  to  fall  into  gross  sins 
again.  I  do  not  recollect  that  I  had  even 
the  least  idea  of  my  own  weakness,  or  once 
saw  the  absolute  need  of  constantly  deriving 
strength  from  Christ,  to  withstand  the  slight- 
est temptation  to  evil.  My  heart  also  began 
to  be  again  carried  away  by  an  anxious  solici- 
tude about  what  measures  I  should  take  to 
provide  for  myself  in  the  world.  To  give 
myself  up  entirely  into  the  hands  of  Provi- 
dence in  this  matter,  was  a  lesson  I  had  not 
yet  learned,  neither  did  I  see  it  requisite  that 
my  religion  should  be  constantly  interwoven 
with  all  I  did;  that  whether  I  ate  or  drank,  it 
should  all  be  done  to  the  glory  of  God :  1  Cor. 
X.  31.  My  idea  of  religion  at  this  time  seem- 
ed to  be  very  different  from  that  of  the  apos- 
tle in  the  place  above  alluded  to.  I  thought  it 
should  never  interfere  with  our  worldly  busi- 
ness; and  as  is  too  frequently  the  case  with 
others,  when  engaged  in  secular  affairs,  I  fre- 
quently left  it  behind,  and  forgot  I  had  any. 

JOURNEY  TO  AND  RESIDENCE  IN  FRANCE. 

A  restless,  worldly  spirit,  kept  me  from 
settling  with  my  parents  in  Scotland;  I  re- 


80  LIFE  OF 

mained  with  them  only  a  few  months,  and 
then  set  out  for  London,  with  a  view  to  push 
all  my  interest  to  get  into  full  pay,  and  if  that 
should  fail,  to  try  to  get  into  some  public  of- 
fice, or  merchant's  counting  housej  but  God 
in  his  providence  having  designed  a  very  dif- 
ferent plan  for  me,  overturned  all  my  schemes. 
I  remained  nearly  a  year  in  the  house  of  my 
kind  friend,  Mr.  Hay,  and  when  I  was  quite 
worn  out  with  disappointments,  being  as  far 
from  any  appearance  of  a  settlement  as  ever, 
a  proposal  was  made  to  me  by  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hay,  to  accompany  their  son  to  France.  I 
readily  accepted  the  offer,  but  very  undutifully 
neither  consulted  nor  acquainted  my  parents 
about  it,  till  it  was  too  late;  for  I  had  left 
England  almost  as  soon  as  they  knew  my  in- 
tention. But  never  did  a  poor  deluded  crea- 
ture repent  any  thing  so  much  as  I  did  this 
rash  step.  I  then  saw  no  danger;  but  when  I 
now  take  a  serious  review  of  the  six  long  years 
of  bondage  I  endured  in  that  strange  land  of 
levity  and  guilt,  how  melancholy  does  the  re- 
trospect appear!  Oh,  what  a  valuable  portion 
of  the  prime  of  my  life  did  I  there  impiously 
squander !  How  far,  very  far,  did  I  depart 
from  God,  and  by  my  repeated  and  aggra- 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  81 


vated  crimes,  provoke  him  to  his  face!  And, 
yet — (Oh  love  inexpressible,  long-suffering 
past  all  comprehension!)  I  was  not  consumed. 
Though  I  was  frequently  brought,  by  severe 
fits  of  sickness,  to  the  verge  of  the  grave,  his 
supporting  arms  were  underneath,  snatching 
me  in  the  critical  hour  from  the  jaws  of  de- 
struction— "  that  in  me  He  might  show  forth 
all  long-suffering,  for  a  pattern  to  them  which 
should  hereafter  believe  on  him  to  life  ever- 
lasting," 1  Tim.  i.  16.  So  dreadfully  puffed 
up  was  my  pharisaical  heart,  that  if  an  angel 
from  heaven  had  told  me  when  I  embarked 
for  France,  that  I  should  there  depart  from 
God  in  the  manner  I  really  did,  both  in  heart 
and  practice,  I  verily  believe  I  should  have 
flatly  contradicted  him.  I  bless  God,  whose 
prerogative  alone  it  is  to  bring  good  out  of 
evil,  that  with  infinite  wisdom  and  love,  he 
so  ordered  this  circumstance  as  in  a  great  de- 
gree to  make  me  humble  and  circumspect.  If 
I  can  trust  my  own  heart  in  any  thing,  I  now 
dread  the  thought  of  being  left  to  myself  as 
the  worst  of  evils.  But  God  forbid  that  I,  or 
any  professor  of  Christianity,  should  ever 
take  encouragement  from  this  "to  do  evil 
that  good  may  come,"  Rom.  iii.  8.    I  here  so- 


82  LIFE  OF 

lemnly  declare,  I  would  not  be  again  in  such 
a  dangerous  state  as  I  then  was  for  several 
years  in  France,  for  millions  of  worlds.  If 
God  had  not  mercifully  preserved  my  life, 
and  given  me  timely  repentance,  how  awful 
would  have  been  the  consequences! 

During  the  first  year  of  my  abode  in  France, 
I  was  so  constantly  employed  in  the  study  of 
the  language,  the  mathematics,  &c.,  that  I  was 
not  so  much  exposed  to  those  temptations 
which  afterwards  proved  so  fatal  to  me.  But 
being  deprived  of  the  conversation  of  pious 
people,  and  of  all  the  public  means  of  grace, 
such  a  coldness  and  deadness  of  soul  ensued, 
to  every  thing  of  a  spiritual  nature,  that  the 
fear  of  God  and  the  power  of  religion  gradu- 
ally wore  off  my  mind,  until  a  broad  and  easy 
way  was  made  for  all  the  mischief  that  suc- 
ceeded. Had  I  returned  to  my  native  coun- 
try with  the  person  who  took  me  out,  it 
would  have  been  a  happy  circumstance;  but, 
to  my  great  regret,  Mrs.  Hay,  who  had  hi- 
therto been  my  best  friend,  now  became  my 
greatest  enemy,  and  was  so  inveterately  pre- 
possessed with  a  false  notion  that  I  had  ill- 
used  her  son,  that  all  the  arguments  I  could 
possibly  use,  never  altered  her  opinion.     But 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  83 

God,  who  sees  the  hearts  and  actions  of  men, 
knows  I  was  unjustly  accused.  The  breach 
was  several  times  made  up,  through  the  me- 
dium of  her  son,  and  an  intimate  French  ac- 
quaintance; but  the  enmity  in  her  heart 
against  me  still  remained,  and  we  finally  part- 
ed. She  lived  several  months  afterwards  in 
the  same  place;  and,  although  I  showed  her  all 
possible  respect  during  that  interval,  (and 
every  body  that  knew  her  blamed  her  conduct 
with  respect  to  me,)  yet  so  strongly  was  the 
prejudice  rooted,  that  she  went  to  England 
with  her  son,  and  left  me  behind  to  shift  for 
myself  in  the  centre  of  a  strange  country,  at 
least  eight  hundred  miles  from  home,  with 
nothing  more  than  my  half-pay  to  subsist  on. 

I  then  thought  this  would  have  been  suffi- 
cient, but  a  few  years'  trial  convinced  me  to 
the  contrary. 

Mr.  Hay,  the  father,  notwithstanding  what 
had  happened,  still  continued  my  friend,  and 
some  time  after  sent  me  sufficient  money  to 
carry  me  home.  Unhappily  for  me,  ere  this 
help  came,  I  had  been  unwarily  led  into  a  fa- 
tal connexion,  which  I  had  no  inclination  to 
break  off;  and  Satan  had  so  effectually  blind- 
ed my  eyes  that  I  wrapped  myself  up  in  a 


84  LIFE  OF 

golden  dream  of  ease  and  pleasure,  and  deter- 
mined to  spend  the  remainder  of  my  days  in 
France.  But  when  I  awoke  from  this  slum- 
ber, a  few  years  after,  and  saw  my  error,  I 
had  not  the  means  of  returning  to  England. 
When  Mrs.  Hay  left  me  to  myself,  I  had  not 
altogether  forgotten  the  religion  I  imbibed  at 
Chatham;  which  prevented  me  from  plung- 
ing directly  into  an  open  course  of  sin.  But 
Satan,  who  knew  a  much  more  effectual  way 
to  draw  me  over  to  his  side  than  by  a  direct 
attack,  made  use  of  fraud,  and  fatally  succeed- 
ed in  his  cruel  purpose.  Had  he  tempted  me 
at  first  to  the  commission  of  some  flagrant  sin, 
I  probably  should  have  spurned  the  tempter 
with  horror.  But  he  being  too  crafty  for  me, 
gilded  his  bait  so  well,  that  I  could  not  forbear 
swallowing  it;  and  when  the  hook  was  well 
fastened,  he  led  me  wherever  he  ^  pleased. 
Oh  how  fatal  is  the  first  deviation  from  the 
path  of  rectitude!  Though  it  may  perhaps 
appear  so  trifling  as  to  be  deemed  innocent, 
yet,  alarming  thought!  it  is  wrapped  up  with 
death  and  destruction,  and  may  terminate  in 
both. 

To  set  the  subtlety  of  the  enemy  of  souls  in 
a  clearer  point  of  view,  I  will  here  select  one 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  85 

instance  out  of  many,  to  delineate  the  multi- 
tude of  ensnaring  traps  he  laid  for  me,  and  the 
artful  insinuations  he  used,  to  oblige  me  to 
break  the  vow  I  had  made  respecting  card- 
playing.  A  thousand  times  it  was  suggested 
to  me  that  I  had  made  a  rash  vow.  I  had  not 
been  long  in  the  country,  before  my  French 
acquaintance,  who  saw  I  had  an  eager  desire 
to  learn  the  language,  used  every  argument  to 
persuade  me  to  play  at  cards,  as  the  most  ef- 
fectual way  of  learning  the  common  conversa- 
tion: but  I  was  not  altogether  so  much  off  my 
guard  as  to  be  foiled  by  the  first  attack.  I 
saw  the  force  of  their  repeated  arguments,  but 
durst  not  yet  comply  with  their  requests. 
When  I  visited  any  neighbouring  family, 
where  my  countrymen  joined  in  the  dance 
and  at  the  card-table,  while  I  obstinately  de- 
clined these  amusements,  (at  least  the  cards,) 
they  were  caressed  and  esteemed,  whilst  I 
was  looked  upon  as  a  poor  creature  who 
had  no  education,  who  did  not  know  the 
knave  of  clubs  from  the  king  of  diamonds. 
This  my  proud  heart  could  hardly  bear,  espe- 
cially when  looking  over  their  shoulders,  I 
have  perceived  that  I  knew  the  game  much 
better  than  those  who  held  the  cards.     I  won- 


86  I^IFE  OF 

der  I  held  out  so  long;  for  I  was  then  alto- 
gether ignorant  of  Satan's  devices  in  this 
matter.  His  plan  of  operation  was  so  deeply 
laid,  that  I  did  not  perceive  it  till  God  by  his 
Spirit  opened  my  eyes  some  years  afterwards. 
And  then  looking  back,  as  near  as  I  can  re- 
collect, these  and  the  following  were  the  me- 
thods the  devil  made  use  of  to  ensnare  me. 
My  greatest  conflicts  with  this  temptation 
were  wlien  I  happened  to  be  the  fourth  per- 
son in  a  company  of  select  friends,  and  a  par- 
ty of  cards  was  proposed,  when  there  was  no 
possibility  of  playing  without  me.  Imme- 
diately followed  the  most  earnest  solicita- 
tions, not  to  deprive  them  of  the  pleasure  of 
an  innocent  amusement.  Perhaps  two  of 
the  three  would  be  female  acquaintance,  for 
whom  I  had  a  very  sincere  and  tender  re- 
gard. These  latter,  with  a  thousand  insinua- 
ating  and  persuasive  arts,  would  exert  their 
utmost  skill  to  engage  me  to  a  compliance; 
but  still  I  was  enabled  resolutely  to  resist  and 
avoid  the  snare. 

After  this  defeat,  one  might  naturally  think 
the  enemy  would  desist  from  any  further  at- 
tack; but  Satan  is  not  so  soon  discouraged  as 
many  Christians  are.     He  began  a  fresh  onset 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  87 

from  another  quarter,  in  which,  to  my  shame, 
he  at  last  too  well  succeeded.  It  was  hardly 
possible  for  me,  had  I  been  disposed,  to  avoid 
company;  consequently  I  was  every  day  an 
eye-witness  to  card-playing.  It  sometimes 
happened  that  one  of  the  party  being  called 
out  of  the  room  upon  urgent  business,  would 
leave  his  cards  and  money  upon  the  table,  and 
earnestly  beg  of  me  to  take  his  hand  till  he 
returned.  The  other  players  would  back  his 
solicitations,  and  use  all  the  force  of  argument 
to  induce  a  compliance.  When  I  alleged  my 
vow,  (for  by  this  time  I  had  been  obliged 
in  my  own  defence  to  acknowledge  that  I  had 
made  a  very  solemn  one,)  they  very  artfully 
told  me  that  they  did  not  look  upon  the  pre- 
sent circumstance  as  a  breach  of  it;  that  the 
money  and  cards  were  not  mine,  but  be- 
longed to  the  person  who  had  only  begged  of 
me  to  take  them  in  his  absence.  Won,  alas! 
by  this  argument,  I  at  last  consented.  Con- 
science took  the  alarm,  and  grew  clamorous: 
I  endeavoured  to  silence  it  as  well  as  I  could, 
by  replying  that  I  was  not  playing  for  myself, 
but  merely  for  the  person  who  had  left  the 
room.  This  I  did  several  times,  till  at  last  it 
happened  that   I  lost  all  the  person's  money 


88  LIFE  OF 

for  whom  I  was  playing.  He  not  returning 
during  this  run  of  bad  luck,  some  of  the  com- 
pany would  lend  him  money,  and  sometimes 
I  resorted  to  my  own  purse;  till  at  length  the 
cards  grew  so  familiar  to  me  by  frequent  re- 
petitions of  this  kind,  and  the  itch  for  gaming 
became  so  predominant,  that,  proceeding  from 
one  step  to  another,  I  at  last  persuaded  myself 
that  the  vow  I  had  formerly  made  was  a  very 
rash  one,  and  not  now  to  be  regarded.  This 
reasoning  suiting  my  inclination,  I  broke 
through  it  with  little  or  no  remorse.  The 
Lord  left  me  to  myself,  till,  in  a  very  short 
time,  I  ran  to  such  a  length  that  not  only 
every  week-day,  but  almost  every  sabbath- 
day,  for  two  or  three  years  together,  I  spent 
my  time  at  cards,  the  billiard-table,  or  the 
theatre.  Without  the  least  regard  to  that  sa- 
cred day,  I  constantly  polluted  it  by  indul- 
gence in  every  carnal  pleasure;  and  though 
my  conscience  did  not  fail  to  tell  me  it  ought 
to  be  kept  holy,  and  1  was  even  so  far  con- 
vinced of  it  as  to  admonish  others;  yet  so  pre- 
valent was  the  force  of  example,  that  I  swam 
down  the  torrent  of  iniquity  without  inter- 
ruption. 

It  would  be  too  tedious  to  enter  into  a  mi- 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  89 

nute  detail  of  my  wicked  practices  at  this 
time;  neither  would  such  a  particular  account 
be  either  useful  or  agreeable  to  some  of  my 
pious  friends,  who  may  perhaps  hereafter  pe- 
ruse this  narrative.  Let  it  suffice  that  my 
time  was  almost  wholly  employed  in  gaming, 
dancing,  and  reading.  The  first  of  these  was 
my  bosom  sin,  in  which  I  delighted,  and  to 
which  I  sacrificed  many  valuable  hours.  The 
second,  with  all  that  train  of  soul-deceiving 
amusements  and  carnal  pleasures,  beyond 
which  Frenchmen  in  general  have  hardly  any 
idea  of  happiness,  I  should  have  been  con- 
strained to  pursue,  even  though  my  natural 
disposition  had  been  averse  to  them.  I  was 
always  fond  of  reading,  and  when  once  fairly 
set  down  to  it,  I  read  a  great  deal.  But  what 
may  perhaps  appear  very  strange  to  some, 
though  certainly  true,  I  received  more  real 
injury  from  this,  than  from  the  other  two 
amusements.  I  kept  a  catalogue  of  the  books 
I  read  during  my  stay  in  France,  which 
amounted  to  about  four  hundred  volumes, 
chiefly  French  and  Italian  authors;  such  as 
Voltaire,  Rousseau,  D'Alembert,  Tasso,  Ari- 
osto,  &c.  &c.  In  English,  I  read  Hume,  and 
some  others.  In  the  perusal  of  these  authors 
H  2 


90  LIFE  OF 

I  bewildered  my  mind  with  a  confused  train 
of  philosophical  notions,  and  I  gradually  lost 
sight  of  true  religion,  and  all  revealed  truth; 
so  that  the  grossest  sins,  which  formerly 
seemed  heinous,  now  assumed  a  very  different 
aspect,  and  appeared  to  be  nothing  more  than 
lawful  gratifications.  In  short,  I  was  prepared 
by  these  emissaries  of  Satan  for  the  commis- 
sion of  almost  any  sin  to  which  occasion  or 
inclination  might  lead  me.  Not  that  I  be- 
came altogether  a  convert  to  their  atheistical 
principles;  for,  as  I  never  could  find  any  two 
of  them  exactly  agree  in  any  one  thing,  I  na- 
turally concluded  they  were  all  wrong.  Still 
their  poisonous  notions  so  infected  my  mind, 
that  from  them  I  drew  consequences  of  my 
own;  plunged  into  an  abstruse  labyrinth  of 
diabolical  reasoning,  and  gradually  begun  to 
doubt  the  authenticity  of  the  scriptures,  the 
immortality  of  the  soul,  and  even  the  exist- 
ence of  a  God.  Not  that  I  ever  acted  from 
the  full  persuasion  that  there  was  no  God,  no 
future  state,  nor  any  truth  in  the  scriptures; 
but  these  things  frequently  appearing  very 
dubious,  I  was  kept  in  a  kind  of  perplexing 
uncertainty,  and  acted  from  no  principle  at 
all,  living  just  as  a  wicked  heart  and  the  "god 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  91 

of  this  world''  chose  to  lead  me.  I  well  re- 
member suffering  a  great  deal  about  this  time, 
from  the  tormenting  fears  that  my  soul  would 
perish  with  my  body.  I  saw  no  evil  in  what 
Christians  called  sin,  and  consequently  had  no 
dread  on  that  account;  besides,  I  had  made  a 
God  of  my  own,  (when  I  could  persuade  my- 
self there  really  was  one)  so  merciful  and  so 
very  kind,  that  I  thought  if  I  could  but  be 
assured  my  soul  was  immortal,  I  was  pretty 
certain  it  would  be  happy.  Nay,  I  so  much 
dreaded  the  horrors  of  non-existence,  that  at 
times  I  was  ready  to  wish  there  might  be  a 
hell  of  endless  torment  in  which  the  soul 
should  live,  rather  than  that  it  should  die  with 
the  body,  and  be  buried  in  eternal  night.  I 
used  frequently  to  say  to  a  friend  who  lived 
in  the  same  house  with  me,  that  I  would  give 
any  thing  to  know  if  my  soul  were  immortal. 
The  following  free  translation  from  my  jour- 
nal contains  the  genuine  breathings  of  my 
soul,  and  gives  a  true  picture  of  the  unhappy 
state  of  my  mind  at  this  period.  "  The  last 
day  of  December,  1768.  The  sun  is  just 
set,  and  ere  it  again  tinges  the  top  of  yonder 
mountains  with  its  cheering  rays,  the  past  year 
(short  portion  of  human  life!)  will  no  more  be 


92  LIFE  OF 

reckoned  among  the  number  of  those  which 
the  Supreme  Being  has  destined  to  measure 
the  duration  of  our  abode  in  this  world!  I 
cannot  then  better  employ  the  little  that  re- 
mains of  it  than  in  seriously  reflecting  upon 
the  end  of  my  existence;  which  approaches 
with  such  constant  rapidity.  A  thousand 
doubts  arise,  one  after  another,  in  my  soul, 
and  make  me  tremble,  ignorant  of  what  I  now 
am,  and  still  more  so  as  to  what  I  shall  be! 
If  death  is  to  destroy  in  me  this  part  which 
thinks,  which  reasons,  and  with  so  much  ar- 
dour breathes  after  an  assurance  of  its  exist- 
ence in  a  future  state,  what  a  despicable  being 
do  I  appear  in  my  own  eyes!  Beyond  all 
expression  miserable!  If  my  soul  is  nothing 
more  than  an  organ  of  my  body  more  deli- 
cately wound  up,  whose  secret  and  wonderful 
movements  lie  beyond  the  reach  of  human 
conception,  but  which  notwithstanding  will 
one  day  moulder  into  dust  with  the  rest,  and 
return  to  its  primitive  nothing — how  much 
reason  have  I  to  curse  the  day  in  which  I  was 
born!  And  what  a  horrid  idea  must  I  enter- 
tain of  Him  who  has  only  endued  me  with  the 
faculty  of  thinking,  that  I  may  better  conceive 
his  almighty  power  thus  exerted  to  make  me 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  93 

wretched!  0  death,  if  thy  dominion  extends 
to  this  dreadful  length,  I  have  too  much  rea- 
son to  tremble  at  thy  approach!  What!  lose 
all  at  once  my  flattering  hopes  of  immortality, 
fall  in  one  moment  from  that  state  of  perfec- 
tion where  I  fondly  placed  myself  after  this 
life,  into  all  the  horrors  of  non-existence! 
Dreadful  thought!" 

I  generally  concluded  such  reflections  as 
these  with  arguments  to  prove  the  immortality 
of  the  soul,  and  drew  a  species  of  real  comfort 
from  them  J  but  my  doubts  and  fears  were  far 
from  being  removed:  they  frequently  return- 
ed to  grieve  me,  and  perhaps  would  have  been 
more  intolerable  had  I  not  drowned  them  in 
pleasure  and  dissipation.  This  was  a  sad  re- 
medy; but  I  thought  it  the  best  that  could  be 
applied  in  such  a  case,  when  I  had  no  one  near 
to  give  me  better  advice.  I  believe  very  few 
of  God's  people  have  been  permitted  to  plunge 
so  deeply  into  sinful  levity  and  pleasure  as 
myself;  but,  by  the  grace  of  God,  being  now 
drawn  out  of  it,  I  feel  impelled  to  stand  up  as 
an  experienced  witness,  loudly  to  proclaim  its 
total  inability  to  administer  one  single  grain 
of  substantial  happiness.  It  may,  and  too  of- 
ten does,  silence  for  a  while  the  unwelcome 


94  LIFE  OF 

checks  of  conscience,  and  please  the  fancy 
with  a  multitude  of  empty  dreams  and  pro- 
mises which  are  never  realized.  In  its  amuse- 
ments time  may  imperceptibly  steal  away  in 
mirth  and  laughter;  but  I  never  could  find  it 
stand  the  test  of  one  hour's  serious  reflection. 
In  health,  without  the  restraints  of  religion,  it 
is  next  to  impossible  to  withstand  its  allure- 
ments. In  sickness,  its  aspect  is  deformed 
and  disgusting,  and  the  thought  of  it  gives 
pain  instead  of  pleasure.  In  death,  no  sight 
is  so  horrid  and  tormenting  as  a  life  spent  in 
such  vanity;  it  is  the  earnest  of  future  and 
eternal  misery.  Oh  how  different,  and  how 
much  more  to  be  prized,  is  that  pure  unsullied 
pleasure  which  flows  from  a  life  of  faith  in  the 
Son  of  God!  In  the  hour  of  trial  it  will  stand 
the  strictest  scrutiny.  It  acquires  fresh  lustre 
at  the  approach  of  sickness,  sweetens  the  bit- 
ter cup  of  death,  and  transforms  all  its  terrors 
into  joys.  Jesus  will  at  last  crown  this  grace 
with  glory,  and  eternity  will  never  witness  its 
termination.  Whatever  portion  of  such  hea- 
venly pleasure  I  might  have  formerly  enjoyed, 
I  certainly  was  an  entire  stranger  to  it  now. 
The  various  foolish  pastimes,  carnal  pleasures, 
and  sinful  gratifications,  in  which  the  children 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.      95 

of  this  world  continually  indulge,  engrossed 
all  my  attention.  I  was  firmly  persuaded  that 
if  happiness  was  to  be  found  in  this  world,  it 
must  be  in  such  a  life.  Satan  had  so  efiec- 
tually  blinded  my  eyes  in  this  and  many  other 
respects,  that  I  saw  nothing  of  the  gulf  of  sin 
into  which  I  was  now  plunged,  and  conse- 
quently I  had  no  dread  of  danger.  Nay,  so 
far  was  I  from  this,  that  I  thought  myself  as 
safe  as  ever  I  had  been;  and  what  may  per- 
haps appear  very  strange,  notwithstanding  I 
was  thus  far  gone  into  sin,  I  continued  to  pray 
twice  a-day,  and  every  morning  read  a  chap- 
ter in  the  Bible,  supinely  thinking  while  I  did 
so  all  was  well:  when,  God  knows,  such  pray- 
ers as  mine,  so  far  from  being  acceptable,  are 
an  abomination  in  his  sight.  So  little  was  my 
heart  engaged  in  them,  that  I  not  only  found 
it  for  the  most  part  thinking  on  something 
else,  but  frequently  detected  it  so  deeply  en- 
gaged in  a  party  at  whist,  or  in  a  game  of  bil- 
liards, that  I  have  left  off  pronouncing  words, 
and  never  recollected  what  I  was  about  till 
some  sudden  turn  in  the  game,  or  unusual 
change  of  thought,  would  rouse  me  to  reflect 
that  1  had  kneeled  down  to  pray. 

Being,  by  the  grace  of  God,  at  the  time  I 


96  LIFE  OF 

am  writing  this,  brought  to  my  right  mind, 
and  enabled  to  take  a  clear  view  of  my  former 
provocations  against  him,  and  of  his  unbound- 
ed mercy  in  not  cutting  me  off,  when  wilfully 
transgressing  his  holy  law,  or  even  in  the 
midst  of  such  sinful  prayers  as  these,  I  am 
filled  with  wonder  and  astonishment  that  I 
should  love  him  no  more.  It  is  the  grief  of 
my  soul,  that  I  cannot  render  unto  him  that 
thankful  heart,  which  I  know  is  more  than 
due  for  his  great  forbearing  love  towards  me. 
How  often,  while  in  this  state  of  real  rebellion 
against  him,  was  I  brought  by  severe  fits  of 
sickness  to  the  very  brink  of  the  grave!  And 
yet  a  secret  something,  which  I  could  not  then 
rightly  comprehend,  sweetly  whispered  that  I 
should  not  die.  Out  of  how  many  perils  did 
he  deliver  me!  And  from  what  dangers  was 
I  wonderfully  rescued!  I  will  mention  one 
out  of  many,  as  an  instance  of  his  protecting 
goodness.  I  was  riding  one  evening  along  a 
very  rugged  road,  with  a  son  of  the  duke  of 

N s,  and  two  or  three  more  of  my  giddy 

companions.  My  horse,  when  at  full  gallop, 
stumbled,  and  threw  me  over  his  head,  to  a 
distance  of  several  paces,  among  the  stones, 
without  my  receiving  the  least  hurt;  though 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.      97 

any  one,  who  witnessed  the  circumstance, 
must  have  conckided  my  death  to  be  inevita- 
ble: and  no  doubt  this  would  have  been  my 
fate,  if  the  hand  of  God  had  not  interposed. 
Surely  his  fatherly  care  was  evidently  shown 
towards  me  in  repeated  instances  of  this  kind; 
but  in  nothing  so  much  as  in  bringing  me  out 
of  that  dreadful  state  of  security  and  sin,  into 
which  I  was  voluntarily  plunged.  The  gra- 
cious work,  from  first  to  last,  was  entirely  his 
own.  He  rejected  my  plan,  and  used  another 
of  his  own  appointment.  Therefore  I  shall 
endeavour  to  be  particular  in  this  part  of  my 
narrative;  and  may  the  whole  glory  redound 
to  Him  to  whom  alone  it  is  due. 

About  two  years  before  I  was  delivered 
from  this  worse  than  Egyptian  bondage,  the 
Lord  implanted  in  my  heart  such  a  strong  de- 
sire to  return  to  my  native  country,  that  no- 
thing could  divert  my  thoughts  from  the  sub- 
ject; so  that  I  had  little  or  no  relish  for  most 
of  those  worldly  pleasures,  in  which  I  for- 
merly took  so  much  delight.  I  retired  from 
company,  and  grew  reserved  and  melancholy. 
But  when,  like  the  prodigal,  I  came  seriously 
to  consider  about  ways  and  means  to  return  to 
my  earthly  father's  house,  (for  as  yet  I  had  no 


98  LIFE  OF 

desire  to  return  to  my  heavenly  Father,)  I  be- 
came completely  miserable,  from  the  seeming 
impossibility  of  ever  accomplishing  my  de- 
sires. I  grieved  and  pined  so  much  from  this 
melancholy  reflection,  that  my  health  began 
to  be  greatly  impaired:  I  did  not,  however, 
remain  inactive,  but  used  every  method  that  I 
could  possibly  think  of,  though  in  vain,  to  ex- 
tricate myself  from  a  thraldom  that  was  now 
become  intolerable.  The  principal  obstacle 
that  lay  in  the  way,  was  my  pecuniary  em- 
barrassment. How  to  discharge  my  debts, 
employed  my  daily  thoughts.  My  father, 
with  all  the  bowels  of  paternal  love,  offered  to 
do  his  utmost  for  me;  but  without  essentially 
hurting  himself  and  family,  it  was  not  in  his 
power  fully  to  extricate  me.  I  was  foolish 
enough  to  attempt  to  save  a  sufficiency  for 
this  purpose  out  of  my  half-pay;  but  a  very 
short  time  convinced  me  that,  with  the  great- 
est possible  economy,  it  was  hardly  sufficient 
to  keep  me  from  running  further  into  debt. 
I  then  turned  my  thoughts  another  way,  and 
endeavoured  by  a  close  application  to  gaming, 
to  amass  as  much  money  as  would  just  dis- 
charge what  I  owed,  and  carry  me  home  to 
England.     I   sometimes   had   very   sanguine 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  99 

hopes  of  succeeding,  till  at  length  the  fancied 
Babel  came  tumbling  down  about  my  ears, 
and  almost  buried  me  in  the  ruins.  By  con- 
stantly dabbling  in  the  French  lotteries,  I  lost 
my  ready  cash,  and  at  the  conclusion,  found 
myself  twenty  pounds  worse  than  when  I 
begun. 

The  last  resource  to  which  I  flew,  proved 
by  far  the  most  tedious  and  laborious;  but  it 
gave  me  much  more  flattering  hopes  than 
either  of  the  others.  It  not  only  promised  to 
procure  me  the  necessary  assistance,  but  puff- 
ed me  up  with  imaginary  notions  of  honour, 
and  of  gaining  a  shining  name  in  the  literary 
world.  Spurred  on  by  these  prevailing  mo- 
tives, it  is  surprising  what  I  went  through  in 
a  close  application  to  study  for  the  space  of  a 
year  and  a  half,  in  order  to  accomplish  my 
design.  Perhaps  few  Englishmen  ever  gave 
themselves  half  the  trouble  I  did,  to  acquire  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  French  language. 
Many  a  morning  has  the  rising  sun  found  me 
worn  out  with  poring  over  my  grammar  and 
other  rudiments  of  this  tongue ;  till  by  pe- 
rusing such  numbers,  and  making  my  own 
comments  upon  them,  for  three  or  four  years, 
I  imbibed  the  true  spirit  of  them  allj  and  haV' 


100  LIFE  OF 

ing,  from  a  constant  and  extensive  correspond- 
ence, acquired  some  accuracy  of  style  and  fa- 
cility of  expression,  I  began  to  write  short  es- 
says on  various  subjects,  both  in  prose  and 
verse,  particularly  the  latter,  of  which  I  was 
very  fond.  Some  of  these  being  handed  about 
among  my  acquaintance,  were  generally  ap- 
plauded; more  I  believe  from  French  polite- 
ness, than  because  they  really  merited  it. 
This,  however,  had  such  an  effect  on  my  vain 
mind,  as  urged  me  not  only  to  continue  com- 
posing, but  now  and  then  to  publish  some 
pieces  in  the  periodical  pamphlets  that  were 
constantly  teeming  from  the  press.  These 
being  generally  well  received,  I  was  induced 
to  look  a  little  further  still,  and,  from  an  anec- 
dote in  the  history  of  Scotland,  laid  the  plan 
of  a  tragedy.  I  contrived  the  plot,  fixed  upon 
the  characters,  measured  the  acts,  sketched 
out  some  of  the  scenes,  &c.,  without  any  in- 
tention at  first  of  making  it  a  finished  piece; 
but  when  I  showed  it  to  some  very  intimate 
friends,  they  advised  me  to  execute  the  plan  I 
had  so  accurately  laid  down;  and  they  paint- 
ed, in  such  a  pleasing  manner,  not  only  the 
profit,  but  the  great  honour  that  would  accrue 
to  me  from  such  a  performance,  that  I  was  in- 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.     101 

duced  to  commence  the  work  immediately, 
big  with  the  most  sanguine  hopes,  that  in 
a  very  short  time  1  should  be  able,  by  the 
strength  of  my  own  genius,  to  work  out  a 
glorious  deliverance  from  that  state  of  bondage 
into  which  my  own  folly  had  brought  me. 
Poor,  proud,  insignificant  worm!  This  empty 
bubble  supported  me  for  eighteen  months, 
and  kept  me  all  that  time  so  constantly  writ- 
ing, that  a  severe  pain  in  my  breast  was  the 
consequence,  which  I  feel  to  this  very  hour, 
and  probably  shall  through  life.  When  I  had 
finished  this  mighty  work,  from  which  such 
great  things  were  expected,  I  gave  it  to  be 
corrected  by  a  great  connoisseur  in  the  French 
language,  who  found  such  a  number  of  faults 
in  it,  and  advised  me  to  make  so  many  altera- 
tions and  amendments,  that  the  second  effort 
proved  fully  as  laborious  as  the  first.  But  the 
hopes  of  success  supported  a  weak  body,  and 
carried  me  quite  through  it.  I  then  sent  my 
tragedy,  completely  finished,  as  I  imagined,  to 
be  perused  by  an  author  at  Paris,  well  known 
there  among  men  of  letters,  for  his  ingenious 
works.  To  his  judgment  I  thought  I  might 
safely  submit,  and  it  proved  so  favourable, 
that  I  was  quite  elated,  and  thought  myself 
I  2 


102  LIFE  OF 

sure,  not  only  of  its  appearing,  but  succeeding 
on  the  stage.  However,  before  this,  I  was  ad- 
vised to  give  it  another  revisal,  which,  although 
loath,  I  was  obliged  to  do.  In  short,  after 
much  fatigue  and  labour,  it  was  put  into  the 
hands  of  Monsieur  le  Kain,  the  first  actor  and 
manager  of  the  theatre  at  Paris,  where  it  re- 
mained several  weeks;  I  all  that  time  suffer- 
ing the  most  excruciating  suspense.  At  last 
the  fatal  sentence  arrived,  couched  in  a  few 
words: — "  That  though  there  were  some  well- 
executed  scenes  in  it,  there  was  also  a  stiffness 
of  style,  and  many  other  blemishes,  which 
would  hinder  its  succeeding  on  the  stage." 
This  stunned  me  like  a  stroke  of  thunder. 
The  disappointment  was  so  great,  I  was  hard- 
ly able  to  bear  up  under  the  intolerable  load 
of  grief  that  fell  upon  my  mind,  especially 
when  my  friend  wrote  me  word  from  Paris, 
that  unless  I  would  give  the  manager  money, 
and  bribe  some  of  the  other  principal  actors, 
there  would  be  no  prevailing  with  them  to 
bring  my  piece  on  the  stage,  even  though  it 
were  preferable  to  many  that  were  brought 
forward.  This  was  a  finishing  blow;  cut  off 
all  hope,  and  rendered  every  future  attempt 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  103 

of  amendment   altogether  needless.     It  was 
money  I  wanted — I  had  none  to  give  away. 

I  have  been  the  more  particular  in  relating 
every  little  incident  concerning  this  matter, 
because  by  it  I  was  reduced  to  the  lowest 
possible  distress;  my  body  pained  and  ema- 
ciated; my  soul  bowed  down  under  the  weight 
of  the  most  pungent  sorrow,  with  the  dismal 
prospect  before  me  of  perishing  at  last  in  a 
strange  land,  far  from  every  one  that  was  near 
or  dear  to  me.  Oh  the  boundless  mercy  of 
that  Being  who  beheld  me  in  this  woful 
plight,  and  graciously  brought  me  relief! 
While  all  my  airy  projects  were  ending  in 
disappointment,  he  was  planning  effectual 
means  for  my  deliverance;  and  just  at  the 
very  crisis  when  my  soul  was  sinking  under 
its  grief,  and  the  balm  of  comfort  was  most 
wanted,  he  was  at  hand  to  administer  it.  For 
nearly  the  space  of  two  years  before  this,  by 
the  close  application  I  gave  to  writing,  and  an 
irresistible  bias  to  a  melancholy  disposition,  I 
had  willingly  dropped  the  greatest  part  of  my 
worldly  acquaintance,  especially  those  of  my 
own  nation,  and  had  formed  a  resolution  to 
contract  no  new  connexion  with  any  of  them 
that  might  afterwards  come  to  the  place.    But 


104  LIFE  OF 

God  had  determined  otherwise,  and  my  weak 
resolves  were  soon  thrown  down  to  make  way 
for  him  to  work.  A  gentleman  that  had  lived 
in  the  same  house,  importuned  me  from  day 
to  day  to  visit  an  English  lady,  who  had  been 
some  time  in  the  town,  whose  company  he 
assured  me  I  should  certainly  like,  from  the 
amiable  qualities  she  possessed.  Prevailed  on 
by  his  repeated  solicitations,  I  at  last  com- 
plied, and  found  her  to  be  really  what  he  had 
described.  Her  sweetness  of  temper,  affabil- 
ity, and  generous  and  humane  disposition, 
were  so  attractive,  that  I  could  not  forbear 
often  repeating  my  visits,  till,  by  degrees,  I 
became  her  most  confidential  friend.  My 
pride  would  never  suffer  me  to  mention  to 
her  the  unhappy  situation  I  was  in;  but  her 
penetration  pierced  through  a  forced  com- 
posure of  countenance  to  the  latent  grief  that 
was  preying  on  my  heart,  and  from  some  un- 
guarded words  dropped  in  conversation,  she 
guessed  at  the  real  cause  of  my  dejection,  and 
immediately  determined  (as  she  has  since  told 
me)  to  embrace  the  first  favourable  opportu- 
nity of  removing  it.  Some  months  after- 
wards, she  left  the  place  to  go  to  Italy,  and 
desired  I  would  take  care  of  a  few  trifling 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  105 

things  that  were  making  for  her  in  town,  for 
which  she  could  not  wait;  promising  to  send 
me  money  from  Lyons  to  pay  for  them.  In 
a  few  weeks  she  sent  me  a  considerable  sum 
to  pay  for  her  things,  and  in  the  most  enga- 
ging generous  manner,  insisted  on  my  making 
use  of  the  overplus  to  carry  me  to  England. 
This,  with  the  gift  sent  me  by  an  indulgent 
father,  was  not  only  amply  sufficient  to  pay 
my  debts,  but  enough  to  defray  the  expense  of 
travelling  home.  0  my  soul,  stop  here  and 
admire  the  goodness,  the  exuberant  goodness, 
of  that  gracious  Being,  who,  in  infinite  love, 
sent  this  unexpected  and  seasonable  supply  to 
the  most  undeserving  of  all  his  creatures!  and 
that  (as  I  have  already  mentioned)  at  the  dis- 
tressing juncture  when  all  my  hopes  of  deli- 
verance from  every  other  quarter  had  entirely 
vanished!  Who  would  not  love  such  a  God? 
How  comes  it  to  pass,  0  my  unfeeling  heart, 
that  thou  dost  not  love  him  more?  Has  he 
done  so  much  for  me,  and  shall  I  not  love 
him?  Yes,  0  blessed  Jesus,  under  the  influ- 
ence of  thy  rich  grace,  my  soul,  my  body,  my 
time,  my  talents,  and  every  thing  I  have,  shall 
be  wholly  devoted  to  thee.  Having  thus  ob- 
tained the  means  of  returning  home,  I  longed 


106  LIFE  OF 

to  set  off  without  a  moment's  delay:  but  was 
persuaded  to  stay  a  few  weeks  longer  for  some 
of  my  countrymen  who  proposed  going  with 
me,  that  travelling  might  be  made  cheaper 
and  mare  agreeable. 

In  the  month  of  May,  1770,  about  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  I  was  released  from 
my  six  years'  heavy  bondage;  and  w4th  a  heart 
filled  with  joy,  though  not  truly  sensible  of  its 
mercy,  I  kneeled  down  on  the  stones,  and  ia 
a  very  irreverent  manner,  with  my  laughing 
companions  around  me,  thanked  God  for  my 
deliverance.      Happy   would   it   be   for   me, 
could  I  now  feel  imprinted  on  my  soul  a  more 
grateful  sense  of  this  unmerited  favour.     Be- 
fore I  land  myself  on  English  ground,^  let  me 
take  another  cursory  review  of  my  mind  at 
this    rejoicing   period.      I   know   very   well 
how  it  was,  but  find  it  altogether  beyond  ray 
power  to  describe  in  any  degree  to  my  satis- 
faction.   My  confused  brain  was  teeming  with 
a  multitude  of  philosophical  notions,  which  I 
could  not  rightly  digest;  and  from  this  rank 
soil,  that  poisonous  weed,  pride,  seemed  to 
shoot  up  to  an  unusual  height.     I  now  looked 
upon  myself  as  one  who,  by  dint  of  study  and 
reflection,  had  entirely  shaken  off  the  preju^ 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  107 

dices  of  education,  and  got  above  the  religion 
of  the  country  in  which  I  was  born.  I  seem- 
ed free  from  the  spirit  of  persecution,  and  did 
not  hate  those  who  lirmly  adhered  to  the 
Christian  faith;  but  I  looked  down  upon  them 
with  an  eye  of  pity,  as  well-meaning  people, 
who  knew  no  better.  My  religion  I  thought 
was  now  of  the  most  refined  description,  tho- 
roughly purged  from  every  bigoted  principle, 
and  what  all  men  of  sense  would  readily  ap- 
prove: though  it  would  puzzle  an  abler  judg- 
ment than  mine  rightly  to  define  what  it  was. 
I  did  not  rely  on  my  own  works  for  salva- 
tion; neither  did  I  trust  to  the  merits  of  Jesus 
Christ.  I  believe  my  chief  prop  for  heaven 
was  a  wavering,  unstable  hope,  that  the  Su- 
preme Being  (if  there  were  any)  would  rather 
choose  to  make  me  happy,  than  eternally  mi- 
serable. Amidst  this  confused  crowd  of  hel- 
lish ideas,  I  frequently  heard  the  murmuring 
of  two  distinct  voices,  which  sometimes  forced 
me  alternately  to  listen  to  them,  and  even 
obliged  me  to  acknowledge  the  truth  of  what 
they  said.  One,  an  importunate  visiter,  very 
roughly  told  me  I  was  wrong;  and  when  I 
endeavoured  to  convince  him  to  the  contrary, 
would  grow  so  bold  and  clamorous,  that,  for 


108  LIFE  OF 

the  sake  of  a  little  peace,  I  was  obliged  as  it 
were  to  stifle  him  for  a  time  in  the  pursuit  of 
some  worldly  pleasure;  but  I  never  could  si- 
lence him  altogether.  The  other  I  listened  to 
with  delight,  while  he  sweetly  whispered  to 
me  in  the  language  of  hope,  that  a  day  would 
come  when  I  should  alter  my  present  way  of 
thinking,  and  adopt  one  far  better.  This  se- 
cret internal  something,  in  a  manner  which  I 
cannot  describe,  gave  me  friendly  hints  that 
my  state  was  far  from  being  safe,  and  that  God 
would  not  suffer  me  to  perish  in  it. 


RETURN  TO  ENGLAND. 

In  this  frame  of  mind,  as  nearly  as  I  can 
recollect,  I  arrived  in  England,  after  having 
spent  six  weeks  at  Paris,  at  the  time  of  the 
marriage  of  king  Louis,  rolling  in  every  for- 
bidden pleasure,  and  delighting  without  re- 
morse in  all  the  sinful  gratifications  which 
that  polluted  city  could  present  to  its  votaries. 
On  my  coming  to  London,  I  was  so  surfeit- 
ed with  those  pleasures  in  which  the  world 
places  its  chief  happiness,  that  for  a  time,  I 
had  no  relish  to  partake  any  more  of  them; 
but  God  knows,  that,  notwithstanding  this,  I 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.     109 

had  not  the  least  desire  after  any  thing  that 
was  good.  My  whole  conduct  and  way  of 
thinking  were  so  visibly  different  from  what 
they  were  when  I  left  England,  that  all  my 
former  acquaintance,  especially  those  at  Chat- 
ham, could  not  forbear  taking  particular  no- 
tice of  the  change.  They  that  feared  God 
saw  it  with  sorrow,  and  I  believe  prayed  for 
me — (the  Lord  reward  them  for  their  pray- 
ers, for  they  were  surely  heard).  To  others 
it  was  a  matter  of  satisfaction,  and  a  good 
subject  for  mirth,  to  perceive  that  their  for- 
mer bigoted  companion  had  now  effectual- 
ly wiped  off  what  they  and  I  were  pleased 
to  call  the  prejudices  of  religion.  Upon 
my  arrival  in  Scotland,  it  was  still  worse. 
A  pious  father  and  mother,  with  sorrow  of 
heart,  soon  remarked  the  melancholy  change, 
which  I  had  not  hypocrisy  enough  to  con- 
ceal. They  so  often  repeated  this  expres- 
sion, "France  has  been  your  ruin,"  that  I 
begun  seriously  to  reflect,  whether  it  really 
was  so  or  not.  Upon  a  strict  examination 
of  what  I  had  experienced  seven  or  eight 
years  before,  I  could  hardly  persuade  myself 
it  was  all  a  delusion;  but  was  rather  inclined 
to  think  there  might   be  some  reality  in  it: 

K 


110  LIFE  OF 

and  if  so,  I  naturally  concluded  I  could  not 
be  right  now,  because  nothing  could  be  more 
clear  than  the  difference  there  was  between 
the  state  of  my  mind  at  that  period  and  at 
the  present.  Notwithstanding  these  secret 
misgivings,  I  was  both  ashamed  and  loath  to 
give  up  a  system  of  religion,  or  I  should  rather 
say  of  irreligion,  so  well  suited  to  my  natural 
inclination,  and  probably  should  have  carried 
it  with  me  to  the  grave,  if  grace  had  not  pre- 
vented. The  chief  cause  why  I  afterwards 
discarded  it  was,  that  God  in  mercy  to  me 
would  not  let  me  keep  it.  The  repeated  ad- 
monitions of  my  pious  relatives,  to  which  I 
was  forced  to  listen,  helped  greatly  to  con- 
firm the  suspicions  about  the  safety  of  my 
state;  and  from  one  step  to  another,  my  doubts 
imperceptibly  increased,  till  at  last  I  began  to 
grow  restless  and  uneasy.  I  sometimes  wished 
I  had  never  imbibed  these  pernicious  princi- 
ples, which  still  retained  their  chief  seat  in 
my  heart.  What  seemed  most  to  shake  my 
suspicions  at  this  time,  was  the  remembrance 
of  that  Pharisaical  disposition  and  spiritual 
pride  with  which  I  was  puffed  up  when  I 
left  Chatham;  and  a  secret  and  strong  persua- 
sion that  God  had  thus  left  me  on  purpose,  to 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  Ill 

root  it  out  effectually,  by  showing  me  how 
unable  I  was  to  stand  when  left  to  myself, 
and  to  what  dreadful  lengths  I  was  liable  to 
run.  These  reflections  were  accompanied  by 
a  hope  that  God  would  one  daj^  restore  me  to 
his  favour;  but  how,  or  when,  or  where,  this 
mighty  change  should  be  effected,  I  had  no 
conception.  So  far  from  this,  I  was  led  to 
believe  it  a  thing  almost  impossible:  the 
whole  bent  of  my  mind  was  so  diametrical- 
ly opposite  to  a  practical  reception  of  the 
truths  revealed  in  the  gospel,  that  had  it  not 
been  for  this  secret  hope  that  encouraged  me, 
I  never  should  have  attempted  to  search  after 
them.  I  attended  on  the  means  of  grace.  I 
read;  I  prayed;  but  my  heart  remained  just 
as  hard  and  insensible,  and,  if  possible,  more 
prone  than  ever  to  every  thing  that  was  bad. 
But  God,  who  is  "rich  in  mercy,  worketh 
and  none  can  let.'^  He,  therefore,  made  use 
of  such  instruments  as  proved  effectual,  to 
raze  the  foundation  of  all  those  false  hopes 
and  erroneous  notions  by  which  the  devil 
held  me  fast. 

The  first  things  that  made  any  evident  im- 
pression upon  me,  were  the  pious  letters  of 
my  Christian  correspondents:  though  I  could 


112  LIFE  OF 

not  then  embrace  what  they  advanced,  yet  I 
clearly  saw  its  truth,  and  longed  to  be  in  their 
safe  and  happy  state.  I  disputed  with  them^ 
but  it  was  with  a  kind  of  reluctance;  and  one 
thing  has  frequently  struck  me,  that  though  I 
was  well  persuaded  of  my  ability  to  stagger 
them  by  raising  arguments,  which  I  had  pick- 
ed up  in  disputing  with  the  Roman  Catholics, 
yet  I  never  was  permitted  to  make  use  of 
them.  When  I  attempted  it,  a  se<;ret  im- 
pulse from  within  seemed  to  whisper  thus: — 
"What!  turn  advocate  for  Satan!  Not  con- 
tent with  being  blinded  by  him  yourself,, 
must  you  endeavour  to  delude  others!'^ 
This,  together  with  a  kind  of  secret  pride, 
lest  my  friends  should  think  I  was  ten  times 
worse  than  they  at  first  imagined,  prevented 
my  throwing  stumbling-blocks  in  their  way* 
Though  I  was  unwilling  to  yield  to  the  force 
of  my  correspondents'  arguments,  yet  I  could 
not  help  being  convinced  that  they  were 
agreeable  to  the  word  of  God,  and  I  found 
they  gained  more  and  more  upon  me  every 
day,  till  by  the  grace  of  Jesus  they  had  im- 
perceptibly created  a  secret  and  growing  de- 
sire to  be  reconciled  to  the  infinitely  gracious 
Being,  whom  I  was    now   made    sensible  I 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  113 

had  most  grievously  offended.  Blessed  be 
the  name  of  the  Lord !  he  did  not  stop  here. 
If  he  had,  these  slight  impressions  would  soon 
have  worn  off,  and  I  had  now  been  either  en- 
during torment,  or,  what  is  next  to  it,  wal- 
lowing in  sin.  But  his  rich  mercy  followed 
me  from  one  means  to  another,  till  my  im- 
penitent heart  felt  the  power  of  his  grace,  was 
made  willing  to  submit  to  his  sovereign  will, 
and  to  accept  of  free  and  full  salvation  by  a 
crucified  Redeemer. 

I  had  been  but  a  few  months  with  my 
friends  in  Scotland,  when  I  was  unexpectedly 
ordered  upon  actual  service,  and  obliged  to 
repair  to  London  with  all  speed.  I  arrived 
there  in  December,  1770,  after  a  tedious  and 
perilous  passage  by  sea,  having  more  than 
once  or  twice  experienced  the  goodness  of 
God  in  delivering  me  from  the  most  immi- 
nent danger.  He  had  gracious  purposes  of 
love  towards  me,  which  were  ripening  apace, 
and  just  ready  to  be  manifested.  Some  mili- 
tary business  detained  me  in  London  nearly 
two  months;  in  which  interval  God  was 
pleased  to  employ  two  very  powerful  means 
to  break  asunder  the  chains  of  darkness,  by 
which  Satan  had  long  led  me  captive  at  his 
K  2 


114  LIFE  OF 

will.  The  first  was  the  unexpected  and  me- 
lancholy account  of  the  death  of  a  dearly  be- 
loved brother.  He  was  my  only  brother,  and 
I  loved  him  as  my  own  soul !  The  painful, 
though  friendly  stroke,  fell  with  uncommon 
weight  upon  my  mind,  and  a  circumstance, 
somewhat  remarkable,  served  to  render  it  still 
more  affecting.  I  received  the  gloomy  com- 
munication upon  nearly  the  same  spot  where, 
seven  or  eight  years  before,  we  had  taken  our 
last  affectionate  farewell  of  each  other.  Oh 
how  pungent  and  solemn  was  the  thought!  It 
preyed  upon  my  soul,  making  me  seriously 
reflect  upon  my  latter  end,  and  compelling 
me  (though  with  dread)  to  look  beyond  the 
grave,  towards  that  awful  and  eternal  state 
into  which  my  dear  brother  had  just  entered. 
I  now  began,  in  good  earnest,  to  see  the  vani- 
ty and  dangerous  tendency  of  those  abomi- 
nable and  erroneous  notions  to  which  I  had 
tenaciously  adhered  for  several  years.  They 
now  stood  dressed  in  their  proper  colours, 
and  loudly  proclaimed  their  diabolical  origin. 
A  strong  and  restless  desire  to  be  savingly 
united  to  God  and  his  people,  drove  them 
from  the  place  they  held  in  my  heart,  and 
evidently  prevailed  in  their  room.     I  saw  the 


MA  JOE  GENEEAL  ANDEEW  BURN.  115 

absolute  necessity  there  was  of  such  a  Saviour 
as  Jesus  Christ,  and  was  convinced  there  was 
no  possibility  of  being  saved  any  other  way 
than  by  him.  But  not  feeling  as  yet  any  love 
in  my  heart  towards  him,  nor  perceiving  in 
his  glorious  person  any  thing  that  I  thought 
would  ever  attract  my  affections,  I  grieved, 
and  mourned,  and  wept;  being  well  per- 
suaded, that  unless  I  loved  Jesus  Christ,  there 
could  be  no  hope  of  my  salvation.  Besides,  I 
was  as  yet  under  the  domineering  power  of 
sin,  neither  had  the  Lord  shewn  me  its  hei- 
nous nature,  nor  that  most  dreadful  of  all 
sights,  my  abominably  wicked  heart.  That 
he  reserved  for  another  period.  He  seemed 
now  to  be  drawing  me  to  himself  with  "  the 
cords  of  love." 

About  a  fortnight  or  more  after  my  bro- 
ther's death,  while  I  continued  in  a  mournful- 
ly disconsolate  state  of  mind,  because  I  could 
not  love  Christ,  I  dreamed  a  very  distinct  and 
remarkable  dream,  which  had  such  a  happy  ef- 
fect upon  my  heart,  that  I  have  ever  since  look- 
ed upon  it  as  the  principal  means  the  Almighty 
was  pleased  to  employ  in  bringing  about  my 
thorough  conversion.  I  thought  I  was  sitting 
a  little  before  daylight  in  the  morning,  with 


116  LIFE  OF 

my  deceased  brother,  on  the  wall  of  the  pa- 
rish church-yard,  where  we  had  lived  many 
years  together.  We  remained  silent  for  some 
time,  and  then  he  asked  me  if  I  would  not  go 
with  him  into  the  church.  I  readily  consent- 
ed, and  immediately  rising  up,  walked  with 
him  towards  the  porch,  or  outer  gate,  which 
I  thought  was  very  large  and  spacious;  but 
when  we  had  passed  through  it,  and  came  to 
the  inner  door  that  led  directly  into  the  body 
of  the  church,  some  way  or  other,  but  how  I 
could  not  well  conceive,  my  brother  slipt  in 
before  me;  and  when  I  attempted  to  follow, 
which  I  was  all  eagerness  to  do,  the  door, 
which  slid  from  the  top  to  the  bottom,  like 
those  in  some  fortified  towns  on  the  conti- 
nent, was  instantly  let  down  more  than  half 
way,  so  that  I  now  found  it  requisite  to  bend 
myself  almost  double  before  I  could  possibly 
enter.  But  as  I  stooped  to  try,  the  door  con- 
tinued falling  lower  and  lower,  and  conse- 
quently the  passage  became  so  narrow  that  I 
found  it  altogether  impracticable  in  that  pos- 
ture. Grieved  to  be  left  behind,  and  deter- 
mined to  get  in,  if  possible,  I  fell  down  on 
my  hands,  and  tried  to  squeeze  my  head  and 
shoulders  through;  but  finding  myself  still  too 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  117 

high,  I  then  kneeled  down,  crept,  wrestled, 
and  pushed  more  eagerly,  but  all  to  no  pur- 
pose. Vexed  to  the  last  degree,  yet  unwill- 
ing to  be  left  outside,  I  came  to  the  resolution 
of  throwing  off  all  my  clothes,  and  crawling 
like  a  worm;  but  being  very  desirous  to  pre- 
serve a  fine  silk  embroidered  waistcoat  which 
I  had  brought  from  France,  I  kept  that  on  in 
hopes  of  being  able  to  carry  it  with  me.  Then 
laying  myself  flat  on  my  face,  I  toiled  and 
pushed,  and  strove,  soiled  my  embroidered 
waistcoat,  but  could  not  get  in,  after  all.  At 
last,  driven  almost  to  despair,  I  stripped  my- 
self entirely,  and  forced  my  body  between  the 
door  and  the  ground,  till  the  rough  stones 
and  gravel  tore  all  the  skin  and  flesh  upon 
my  breast,  and  (as  I  thought)  covered  me 
with  blood.  Indifferent,  however,  about  this, 
and  perceiving  I  advanced  a  little,  I  continued 
to  strive  and  squeeze  with  more  violence  than 
ever,  till  at  last  I  got  safely  through.  As  soon 
as  I  stood  upon  my  feet  on  the  inside,  an  invi- 
sible hand  clothed  me  in  a  long  white  robe; 
and  as  I  turned  round  to  view  the  place,  I  saw 
a  goodly  company  of  saints,  among  whom  was 
my  brother,  all  dressed  in  the  same  manner, 
partaking  of  the  Lord's  supper.     I  sat  down 


118  LIFE  OF 

in  the  midst  of  them,  and  the  bread  and  wine 
being  administered  to  me,  I  felt  such  seraphic 
joy,  such  celestial  ecstasy,  as  no  mortal  can 
express.  I  heard  a  voice  call  me  three  times 
by  name,  saying  I  was  wanted  at  home.  My 
joy  was  so  great  and  overcoming,  that  it  soon 
broke  asunder  the  silken  bands  of  sleep,  and 
made  me  start  up  in  my  bed,  singing  the  high 
praises  of  God. 

So  much  was  I  impressed  by  this  remark- 
able dream,  that  from  this  day  I  was  enabled 
to  begin  an  entirely  new  life,  which  (as  I  ad- 
vanced in  the  saving  knowledge  of  divine 
things)  proved  as  different  from  the  life  I  had 
led  for  several  years  back,  as  it  is  possible  any 
two  opposites  can  be.  Old  things  were  now 
done  away,  and  all  things  became  new.  Not 
that  I  obtained  a  complete  victory  over  my 
domineering  sins  all  at  once,  or  renounced  all 
my  false  opinions  in  one  day:  but  a  bitter  and 
eternal  war  was  instantly  declared  against  the 
one,  and  as  God  made  the  discovery  to  me,  I 
let  go  the  other.  My  mind  was  gradually 
enlightened  to  comprehend  the  glorious  and 
important  truths  of  the  everlasting  gospel, 
and  the  eyes  of  my  understanding  were  so 
opened,  to  discern  spiritual  things,  that  I  now 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREAV  BURN.  119 

read  my  Bible  with  wonder  and  astonish- 
ment. I  paused  almost  at  every  sentence, 
ruminating  within  myself;  and  could  hardly 
be  persuaded  whether  or  not  I  had  ever  read 
many  of  the  passages  before,  so  amazingly 
were  they  opened,  and  so  very  different  did 
the  meaning  of  them  appear  to  be  from  what 
I  had  previously  apprehended.  The  sweet 
and  comfortable  impression  which  this  dream 
left  upon  my  mind  for  many  days,  encouraged 
and  inspired  me  with  fresh  vigour  in  the  pur- 
suit of  heavenly  things.  I  now  plainly  saw 
that  I  had  long  strayed  in  the  wilderness  of 
error,  and  was  fully  and  delightfully  con- 
vinced the  good  Shepherd  had  found  me  out, 
and  was  determined  to  carry  me  back  again 
to  his  fold.  But  what  is  very  astonishing,  I 
did  not  yet  perceive  any  sensible  drawings  of 
affection  after  him,  or  feel  in  my  heart  that 
love  and  delight  which,  blessed  be  his  name! 
I  humbly  trust,  I  have  at  times  since  sweetly 
experienced.  Nor,  till  nearly  a  year  after- 
wards, did  I  rightly  conceive  in  any  adequate 
degree  what  was  meant  by  the  intolerable 
burden  of  sin.  But  as  the  Lord  increased 
and  strengthened  my  faith,  and  shed  abroad 
his  love  in  my  heart,  sin,  that  accursed  thing, 


120  LIFE  OF 

grew  blacker  and  blacker,  till  at  last  the  sight 
became  so  odious,  that  had  not  he  first  very 
tenderly  comforted  me,  I  never  could  have 
borne  what  I  felt  of  it  in  my  own  breast. 
While  God  continued  gradually  to  initiate  me 
in  the  divine  life,  and  graciously  condescended 
to  give  me  brighter  discoveries  of  his  redeem- 
ing love,  my  spiritual  enemies  were  not  inac- 
tive. Many  secret  and  dangerous  snares  were 
laid  to  entrap  my  soul,  and  hinder  my  pro- 
gress in  the  heavenly  road;  but  the  God  of 
boundless  love  and  pity,  who  kindly  beheld 
my  critical  situation,  not  only  kept  them  from 
hurting  me,  but  exerted  in  my  behalf  that 
power  which  is  peculiar  to  himself,  of  bring- 
ing good  out  of  evil. 

A  few  weeks  after  my  dream,  though  I  had 
every  reason  to  fear  being  sent  to  the  West 
Indies,  (as  an  officer  who  exchanged  duties 
with  me  was,)  yet  the  Lord,  whose  watchful 
eye  was  over  me,  so  overruled  events,  that  I 
was  securely  and  speedily  fixed  among  my 
former  pious  friends  and  acquaintance  at 
Chatham,  and  to  my  great  joy  at  last  happily 
united  to  the  person  I  had  loved  for  many 
years:  in  short,  I  was  now  more  comfortably 
settled  in  life  than  I  had  ever  yet  been;  freed 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  121 

from  the  pressure  of  poverty,  and  a  number 
of  otlier  worldly  cares  and    embarrassments, 
to  which  I  had  long  been  exposed.     But  here 
a  vigilant   enemy    contrived    his    well-timed 
scheme,  and  brought  it  to  a  dreadful   length 
ere  I  perceived  the  danger.      Wrapping  me 
round  in  the  comforts  of  this  world,  he  found 
an  easy  passage  into  my  corrupt  heart,  and 
insensibly  drew  away  my  affections  into  an 
eager,  restless    desire    for   the  enjoyment   of 
those    poor    perishing    vanities.      So    deeply 
was  my  attention  at  last  engaged  in  this  pur- 
suit, and  so  effectually  had  the  god  of  this 
world  blinded  the  eyes  of  my  understanding, 
that  I  not  only  begun  to  lose  a  relish  for  spi- 
ritual things,  and  the  believing  view  of  hea- 
venly objects,  but  a  thick  veil  was  likewise 
drawing  over  all  that  the  Lord  had  just  been 
doing  for  me;  and  had  not  his  grace  speedily 
prevented,  I  had    undoubtedly   fallen  a  prey 
to  the  snare  of  the  enemy,  and,  like  Demas, 
should   entirely  have   forsaken  the  cause  of 
a  crucified    Saviour.       But  I  was    suddenly 
aroused    from    my    spiritual    lethargy    by  a 
friendly  but  severe  stroke  of  his  rod;  so  se- 
vere that  to  this  day  I  feel  the  smart  of  it  in 
my  body,  and  probably  shall  carry  the  marks 


122  LIFE  OF 

of  it  to  my  grave.  It  was  nothing  more  at 
first  than  a  little  swelling  on  my  neck  about 
the  size  of  a  nut,  of  which  for  some  time  I 
took  little  or  no  notice,  imagining  it  would 
go  away,  as  it  came,  without  giving  me  any 
pain  or  trouble.  But  God,  seeing  it  was  high 
time  to  afflict  me,  used  this  swelling  as  a  rod, 
causing  it  to  increase  to  such  a  degree,  that  I 
was  glad  to  have  recourse  to  medical  advice ; 
but  without  effect.  It  enlarged  inwardly,  and 
gradually  spread  till  it  got  below  the  clavicle, 
or  collar-bone,  and  gave  me  so  much  pain  that 
I  was  at  last  obliged  to  undergo  the  excruciat- 
ing operation  of  having  it  cut;  and  after  all, 
the  infected  part  was  found  to  be  so  deep, 
there  was  no  getting  at  the  bottom  to  heal  it 
by  any  outward  application.  It  grew  worse 
and  worse,  threw  me  every  now  and  then 
into  a  fever,  and  by  a  constant  and  copious 
discharge  emaciated  my  body,  and  reduced 
me  to  so  low  a  state,  that  all  who  saw  me  na- 
turally concluded  it  would  soon  put  a  period 
to  my  life.  In  this  crisis,  the  happy  effects 
which  a  God  of  love  intended  should  flow 
from  this  affliction  began  to  appear;  the 
thoughts  of  death  in  my  present  state,  lay 
with  uncommon  weight  upon  my  mind,  and 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  123 

caused  such  deep  searchings  of  heart,  that  I 
was  made  willing  to  forsake  all  for  some  com- 
fortable hope  of  my  eternal  bliss  by  Jesus 
Christ.  The  world,  that  gilded  vanity,  which 
I  had  been  sinfully  hugging  in  my  bosom  till 
it  had  well  nigh  destroyed  me,  now  shrunk 
from  my  fond  embrace,  an  ugly,  deformed 
thing.  I  blushed  to  think  I  had  been  so  mean 
as  to  place  my  affections  one  moment  upon  it, 
and  resolutely  determined  for  the  future  to 
give  my  heart  entirely  to  God,  who  had  an 
indisputable  right  to  it. 

The  finger  of  the  Lord  was  so  evidently 
manifest  to  me  in  this  affliction,  that  I  can 
truly  say,  if  ever  I  was  in  any  degree  thank- 
ful for  any  of  his  mercies,  it  was  for  this.  At 
first  indeed  it  was  grievous,  very  grievous  to 
bear,  but  as  soon  as  I  perceived  its  happy  ef- 
fects, and  saw  the  absolute  necessity  there  was 
for  it,  (I  desire  to  speak  to  the  glory  of  his 
grace)  I  really  in  some  measure  delighted  in 
my  pain;  seemed  to  enjoy  it  as  a  valuable 
thing,  and  blessed  his  holy  name,  for  this  soul- 
satisfying  token  of  his  fatherly  love  and  care. 
Yet,  strange  to  think,  so  strong  is  my  natural 
propensity  to  doubt,  that  I  frequently  question 
whether  God  ever  loved  me  or  not.     Cursed 


124  LIFE  OF 

sin!  May  that  all-sufficient  grace  which  has 
upheld  me  hitherto,  now  give  me  an  entire 
dominion  over  it.  Surely  I,  of  all  men,  have 
no  reason  to  douht  of  the  love  of  God,  were  I 
only  to  allege  this  affliction  as  a  proof  of  it. 
When  my  wandering  heart  is  too  much  drawn 
out  after  the  objects  of  time  and  sense,  a  gen- 
tle stroke  of  this  rod  (which  is  still  suspended 
over  me)  gives  the  friendly  warning,  puts  me 
in  mind  of  my  latter  end,  and  points  toward 
heaven.  Oh  what  a  treasure  is  sanctified  af- 
fliction! No  sooner  did  I  feel  the  happy  ef- 
fects of  it  upon  my  soul  at  this  time,  than  I 
began  with  more  earnestness  than  ever  to  seek 
after  God.  I  longed  for  close  communion 
with  him;  I  delighted  in  his  courts,  and  in 
the  solemn  assemblies  of  the  more  select  com- 
pany of  his  spiritual  worshippers.  In  short,  I 
could  not  rest  till  I  had  become,  in  a  more  in- 
timate and  public  manner,  one  of  those  de- 
spised people  whom,  a  few  months  before,  I 
had  looked  upon  with  pity  and  contempt,  as 
ignorant  fanatics,  deceiving  themselves  and 
willing  to  deceive  others.  The  people  of  God, 
of  every  denomination,  poor  or  rich,  now  be- 
came to  me  "the  excellent  of  the  earth,'^  in 
whom  was  all  my  delight.     I  loved  them  from 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  125 

my  heart,  because  they  belonged  to  Christ  and 
bore  his  image,  and  through  his  grace,  I  can 
do  so  still.  I  have  not  perceived  my  affection 
for  them  abated,  and  humbly  trust  I  never 
shall.  Surely  nothing  less  than  divine  power 
could  in  the  space  of  a  few  months  have  thus 
effectually  overthrown  the  massive  bulwarks 
of  infidelity,  which  Satan  had  been  continually 
strengthening  for  the  space  of  six  years  in  my 
corrupt  heart,  or  have  bent  my  vicious  and 
stubborn  will  to  embrace  the  self-abasing  doc- 
trines of  the  gospel.  That  such  a  change  has 
been  wrought,  I  am  as  certain  as  of  my  own 
existence:  so  likewise  am  I  confident  that  it 
was  not  in  the  smallest  degree  attributable  to 
any  inherent  strength  of  my  own.  God  alone 
must  have  been  the  author  of  it.  To  him 
therefore  be  all  the  glory.  Nothing  but 
shame  and  confusion  belongs  to  me,  for  hav- 
ing so  ill-requited  a  God  of  such  boundless 
compassion.  He  has  done  great  things  for 
me,  I  have  done  but  little  for  him  in  return; 
yet  still  the  same  grace  that  begun  the  work, 
has  I  trust  hitherto  carried  it  on;  so  that  I  can 
say  with  the  apostle,  "By  the  help  of  God,  I 
continue  unto  this  day." 

Before  I  conclude  this  feeble  attempt  to  il- 
l2 


126  LIFE  or 

lustrate  the  freeness  of  Jesus's  love  to  the 
most  undeserving  of  all  his  creatures,  I  will 
just  mention  some  marks  of  his  tenderness  and 
care,  which  in  great  condescension  he  deigned 
to  confer  upon  me,  after  he  had  mercifully 
called  me  from  the  tyranny  of  Satan  into  the 
happy  freedom  of  the  gospel.  Some  time  be- 
fore, and  even  after,  I  had  joined  a  society  of 
Christians,  I  frequently  doubted  the  soundness 
of  my  conversion,  and  consequently  the  safety 
of  my  state  from  not  having  keenly  felt  what 
I  so  often  heard  them  talking  about — terrors 
of  conscience,  deep  convictions  of  sin,  horrors 
of  mind  on  account  of  the  impending  wrath 
of  God,  and  the  impossibility  of  entering  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  without  feeling  something 
of  such  emotions.  It  was  not  long  before 
these  doubts  and  fears  were  graciously  re- 
moved; but,  as  I  have  already  hinted,  in  pro- 
portion as  the  love  of  Christ  increased  in  my 
soul,  a  daily  hatred  to  sin  was  excited.  I  gra- 
dually saw  the  dreadful  consequences  that  at- 
tended it,  and  how  odious  it  was  in  the  sight 
of  a  pure  and  holy  God.  At  these  happy  sea- 
sons when  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  give  me 
any  singular  manifestations  of  his  love,  a  holy 
tremor  seemed  to  seize  me,  lest  I  should  do 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  127 

any  thing  that  might  offend  him.  Whenever 
I  was  made  sensible  of  sinning,  either  by  omis- 
sion or  commission,  in  thought,  word,  or  deed, 
the  bitter  tears,  heavy  groans,  and  excruciating 
pangs  of  soul  I  went  through,  till  they  were 
removed  by  a  believing  view  of  the  atoning 
sacrifice  of  our  Lord,  no  mortal  can  conceive 
but  those  who  have  experienced  something  of 
the  same  kind.  And  to  this  day,  as  I  am 
never  without  sin,  I  can  truly  say  it  is  a  con- 
tinual source  of  sorrow  to  me.  It  is  a  heavy 
burden  under  which  I  should  soon  sink,  if  I 
did  not  experimentally  know  that  Jesus  died 
to  save  me  from  its  reigning  power,  as  well 
as  from  the  punishment  it  deserves. 

As  I  have  every  reason  to  praise  God  for 
these  favours,  so  ought  I  also  to  bless  and 
magnify  his  holy  name  as  the  hearer  and  an- 
swerer of  prayer  generally.  I  can  boldly  say 
from  my  heart,  I  have  truly  found  him  such, 
and  never  more  so  than  when  he  has  refused 
a  direct  and  immediate  grant  of  my  petitions. 
For  then  I  have  frequently  seen  in  the  issue, 
that  I  had  ten  times  more  reason  to  thank  him 
for  the  refusal,  than  if  he  had  at  once  granted 
me  what  I  asked.  I  will  just  mention  one 
instance  of  this  kind  as  a  specimen  of  many, 


128  LIFE  OF 

previously  observing  that  when  clear  views  of 
divine  truth  were  first  imparted  to  me,  I  fre- 
quently prayed  that  whenever  he  called  me 
to  embark  in  a  man-of-war,  (that  dreadful 
abode  for  a  Christian,  which  I  had  long  in- 
habited) I  might  even  there  find  some  serious 
person  to  converse  with,  who,  by  good  advice 
and  a  pious  example,  might  be  the  means  of 
preventing  me  from  falling.  But  this  prayer 
I  had  for  some  time  neglected  to  offer  up,  and 
indeed  had  entirely  forgotten;  though  God 
had  not,  as  will  be  seen  by  tbe  sequel.  About 
forty  years  ago,  when  I  was  a  subaltern  in  the 
royal  marine  corps,  two  other  officers  and  my- 
self were  ordered  to  embark,  one  in  each  of 
the  three  guard  ships  then  stationed  in  the 
Medway.  Two  of  them  lay  close  to  the 
Dock-yard,  affording  at  all  times  easy  access 
to  the  shore;  but  the  other,  the  Resolution  of 
74  guns,  was  moored  half-way  down  the  river, 
towards  Sheerness,  from  whence  in  winter  and 
bad  weather  it  was  troublesome  to  land,  and 
sometimes  impracticable.  For  this  reason  it 
was  natural  for  each  of  us  to  wish  for  one  of 
the  Chatham  ships,  and  strong  interest  was 
accordingly  made  by  us  respectively  with  the 
commanding  officer,  for  this  purpose.    But  he. 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  129 

finding  he  must  necessarily  disoblige  one  of 
the  three,  ordered  us  to  attend  the  parade  next 
morning,  and  draw  lots  for  our  ships.  This 
of  course  drove  me  to  my  strong  hold,  and  if 
ever  I  prayed  with  fervency  in  my  life,  it  was 
now.  I  pleaded  hard  with  the  Searcher  of 
hearts,  that  he  knew  my  chief  motive  for  de- 
siring one  of  the  Chatham  ships  was,  that  I 
might  constantly  attend  the  means  of  grace 
and  the  ordinances  of  his  house;  and  I  felt 
confidence  that  if  I  really  was  a  child  of  God, 
he  would  grant  my  request — since  the  "lot 
thus  cast  into  the  lap"  was  wholly  at  his  dis- 
posal! The  important  morning  came,  and  I 
drew  the  dreaded  ship,  down  the  river.  Had 
I  drawn  my  death  warrant,  I  hardly  think  it 
would  have  affected  me  more.  My  prayer 
was  now  apparently  rejected,  and  the  enemy 
of  souls  taking  advantage  of  the  agitated  state 
of  my  depraved  heart,  easily  made  me  draw 
the  conclusion,  either  that  I  was  no  Christian, 
or  that  God  paid  no  attention  to  those  who 
professed  to  be  such.  In  this  gloomy  despond- 
ing state,  like  a  criminal  going  to  execution,  I 
embarked  the  same  forenoon  in  His  Majesty's 
ship  Resolution,  lying  in  a  dreary  part  of  the 
Medway,  a  few  miles  from  Sheerness.     I  had 


130  LIFE  OF 

just  time  to  be  introduced  to  the  officers  in  the 
ward-room,  when  dinner  came  in.  The  third 
lieutenant,  happening  to  be  caterer  that  week, 
of  course  stood  up  at  the  head  of  the  table  and 
asked  a  blessing;  but  with  so  much  serious- 
ness as  quite  astonished  me;  for  being  well 
acquainted  with  the  customs  of  the  ward-room 
in  a  king's  ship,  I  had  never  heard  any  thing 
of  the  kind  so  solemnly  pronounced  there  be- 
fore, and  I  determined  to  mark  every  word 
which  proceeded  from  that  gentleman's  lips, 
in  the  hope  of  hearing  something  that  might 
enable  me  to  ascertain  his  character.  Nothing 
decisive  occurred  during  dinner;  but  no  sooner 
was  the  wine  placed  upon  the  table,  than  he 
was  attacked  by  several  of  his  messmates  on 
his  religious  sentiments,  and  I  soon  discovered 
that  he  bore  the  genuine  marks  of  a  true 
Christian,  by  his  judicious  reproofs,  and  the 
very  able  manner  in  which  he  confuted  all 
their  infidel  arguments.  Wishing,  I  suppose, 
to  know  what  spirit  I  was  of,  they  frequently 
appealed  to  me  for  the  truth  of  what  they  ad- 
vanced; but  having  always  decided  against 
them,  I  was  imperceptibly  drawn  into  the  dis- 
putation on  the  side  of  the  caterer.  When  the 
allowance  of  wine  was  drunk  (for  it  was  a  so- 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  131 

ber  well-regulated  mess)  the  purser  rose  and 
broke  up  the  company,  exclaiming  with  an 
oath,  "  Our  new  messmate  is  as  great  a  Metho- 
dist as  Tomlinson."*  I  smiled,  well  pleased 
to  be  associated  with  such  a  man.  As  two 
needles  touched  with  the  loadstone,  when  they 
fall  near  to  each  other  among  chaff,  will  soon 
come  together,  so  this  Methodist  lieutenant 
and  myself  speedily  came  into  contact.  After 
having  exchanged  a  few  questions,  we  went 
down  to  his  cabin  in  the  gun-room,  had  an 
hour's  comfortable  conversation,  and  con- 
cluded with  prayer,  although  a  few  hours  be- 
fore we  had  never  seen  one  another's  faces. 
This  singular  circumstance  could  not  fail  to 
bring  to  my  recollection,  the  prayer  I  had  so 
culpably  forgotten,  now  completely  granted, 
and  I  began  to  be  reconciled  to  the  ship  pro- 
vidence had  assigned  me;  but  that  God,  who 
abounds  in  goodness,  and  delights  in  mercy, 
never  confers  his  favours  by  halves.  A  few 
days  had  hardly  elapsed  when  an  order  came 
from  the  Admiralty,  to  send  the  Resolution 
up  to  Chatham,  and  one  of  the  ships  there  to 

*  Lieutenant  Tomlinson  was  a  pious,  sensible,  and 
well-informed  man,  then  well  known  in  the  Christian 

world. 


132  LIFE  OF 

take  its  place.  This  was  such  welcome  news 
to  all  on  board,  that  lest  the  order  should  be 
countermanded,  we  obeyed  it  the  same  day; 
for  the  wind  and  tide  favouring,  we  weighed, 
and  came  to  an  anchor  off  the  Dock-yard  be- 
fore two  o'clock.  Thus  my  prayer,  at  first 
apparently  rejected,  was  now  completely  an- 
swered; but  it  was  in  the  Lord's  way.  Had 
mine  been  attended  to,  and  I  had  drawn  the 
ship  that  went  down  the  river,  I  should  have 
been  miserable.  So  true  it  is,  we  ^Minow  not 
what  we  should  pray  for  as  we  ought,"  Rom. 
viii.  26. 

As  God  had  thus  been  very  merciful  in  not 
granting  my  requests  in  my  own  way,  so  like- 
wise has  he  been  remarkably  gracious  at  other 
times  in  hearing  and  answering  my  petitions. 
An  instance  or  two  will  be  sufficient  to  esta- 
blish this  soul-comforting  truth.  Some  time 
ago,  finding  my  heart  and  aflfections  (as,  alas! 
I  too  frequently  have  done  since)  very  much 
carried  away  after  the  perishing  things  of  the 
world,  my  zeal  abating,  and  my  love  for  spi- 
ritual things  growing  cold  and  languid,  and  of 
course,  my  joy  and  peace  in  believing  almost 
entirely  vanished,  I  tried  every  means  to  re- 
move the  growing  evil;  went  from  duty  to 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.     133 

duty,  made  resolution  upon  resolution,  wres- 
tled and  prayed,  but  all  to  no  purpose.  The 
love  of  the  world  seemed  to  prevail  over  the 
love  of  Christ.  At  last,  weighed  down  under 
the  heavy  burden,  and  almost  ready  to  give 
over,  I  prayed  fervently  to  God,  that  as  he 
had  formerly  blessed  afflictions  to  me  in  this 
respect,  I  should  now  be  willing,  were  it  con- 
sistent with  his  will,  that  he  should  use  that 
means  to  disentangle  my  heart  from  the 
world,  and  direct  it  to  the  proper  object  of 
its  love.  The  very  next  day,  I  was  laid  up 
with  a  fever,  and  before  I  recovered,  the 
world  in  a  great  measure  lost  for  a  time  its 
alluring  charms.  I  am  far  from  justifying 
this  method  of  prescribing  to  the  Lordj  but 
in  this  instance  it  appears  evident  he  heard 
my  prayer. 

At  another  time  I  prevailed  upon  one  of 
my  brother  officers,  a  most  notorious  swxarer, 
to  go  to  worship  with  me,  and  we  had  just  sat 
down  in  the  pew,  when  I  put  up  a  mental 
prayer  that  the  preacher  might  be  led  to  say 
something  against  swearing,  that  he  might  be 
useful  to  my  companion;  and  while  I  endea- 
voured to  recollect  some  text  of  scripture  that 
was  against  this  vice,  the  third  commandment 

M 


134  LIFE  or 

immediately  presented  itself  with  full  force  to 
my  mind.  I  thought,  if  this  were  but  pronoun- 
ced with  solemn  energy  and  power  from  the 
pulpit,  what  good  might  it  not  do !  According- 
ly, towards  the  close  of  the  sermon,  which 
by-the-by,  seemed  quite  foreign  from  what  I 
had  been  meditating  upon,  the  preacher  began 
to  reprove  the  odious  vice  of  swearing,  and 
was  a  full  quarter  of  an  hour  demonstrating, 
with  uncommon  eloquence  and  convincing 
arguments,  its  sinfulness,  meanness,  unprofita- 
bleness, and  dangerous  consequences,  and  at 
last  concluded  by  repeating  the  third  com- 
mandment with  such  solemnity,  that  it  forced 
the  whole  auditory  into  the  most  serious  at- 
tention; while  I  rejoiced  to  think  the  Lord 
had  graciously  condescended  to  hear  my 
prayer,  in  a  manner  so  admirably  calculated 
to  impress  the  conscience  of  my  profane  com- 
panion. 

EXTRACTS  FROM  HIS  JOURNALS  UNTIL  1778. 

The  preceding  narrative  brings  down  the 
author's  history  to  the  middle  of  his  thirtieth 
year,  the  19th  of  April,  1772.  We  must  now 
proceed    through   the  remainder,  chiefly  by 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  135 

the  aid  of  his  journals,  in  which  he  continued 
to  notice  all  the  material  occurrences  of  his 
life.  Nothing  which  he  deemed  deserving 
of  being  recorded,  seems  to  have  happened 
for  a  considerable  time  after  the  period  at 
which  the  narrative  closes.  In  the  following 
year  he  determined  to  include  in  his  future 
journals,  not  only  a  register  of  external  trans- 
actions and  circumstances,  but  accounts  of  his 
progress  or  decline  in  the  Christian  life,  and 
of  the  pains  and  pleasures  arising  from  the  con- 
flicts experienced  in  his  mind  between  error 
and  truth,  sin  and  grace.  We  cannot  bet- 
ter commence  our  continuation  of  Lieutenant 
Burn's  history,  than  with  the  introduction  to 
this  new  series  of  journals:  and  as  this  part  of 
his  life  appears  to  have  been  diversified  only 
by  internal  anxieties  and  enjoyments,  we  shall 
proceed  to  transcribe  some  other  passages, 
written  at  various  times  during  his  residence 
at  Chatham;  which  contain  particular  descrip- 
tions of  his  religious  views  and  feelings,  and 
exhibit  him  as  a  vigilant  self-observer,  mind- 
ful of  that  injunction  of  heavenly  wisdom: — 
"Keep  thy  heart  with  all  diligence,  for  out  of 
it  are  the  issues  of  life.'' 
August  15,  1773.     In  the  year  1771,  the 


136  LIFE  OF 

Lord,  in  a  gracious  and  more  effectual  manner 
than  I  had  ever  before  experienced,  having 
been  pleased  to  enlighten  my  mind  by  the 
blessed  illumination  of  his  Holy  Spirit,  to  see 
the  reality  and  importance  of  the  glorious  and 
mysterious  truths  revealed  in  the  Bible;  and 
to  direct  my  soul  to  the  Lamb  of  God,  who 
taketh  away  the  sins  of  the  world;  I  have  fre- 
quently thought  it  might  be  useful  to  commit 
my  experience  to  paper:  but  through  one  im- 
pediment or  other,  I  have  always  put  it  off 
till  this  day.  And  now,  by  the  grace  of  God, 
the  heaven  of  heavens,  where  God  my  Sa- 
viour reigns,  and  where  thousands  of  my  bro- 
ther sinners  are  already  arrived  and  entered 
into  bliss,  being  the  happy  port  towards  which 
I  am  steering,  I  am  determined  to  keep  an  exact 
journal  of  my  voyage  through  the  tempestu- 
ous ocean  of  this  life,  where  nothing  but  rocks, 
and  sands,  and  shoals  present  themselves  on 
every  side,  in  order  that  one  day's  experience 
may,  under  God,  be  a  kind  of  guide  to  the 
next,  and  that  after  I  shall  have  finished  my 
course,  and  safely  arrived  at  home,  others  who 
come  after  me  may  see  the  ruin  into  which  I 
had  well  nigh  fallen,  and  take  timely  warning. 
But  before  I  begin,  let  me  earnestly  beg  of 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.     137 

God,  that  his  Holy  Spirit  may  be  my  con- 
stant instructer  and  pilot;  that  always  diffi- 
dent of  my  own  skill,  I  may  never  venture  to 
proceed  on  my  voyage  without  his  special  di- 
rection, and  the  sweet  influence  of  his  auspi- 
cious gales,  lest  I  should  suffer  loss,  and  be 
driven  backward  instead  of  forward.  0  that 
the  blessed  Jesus  would  grant  that  every  day 
I  might  sail  with  as  prosperous  a  gale  as  I 
have  this  day !  How  good,  how  kind,  how 
astonishingly  gracious  has  he  been  to  my  un- 
worthy soul  on  this  day  of  rest!  Delightful 
prelude  to  that  eternal  Sabbath  of  bliss,  which 
I  humbly  trust,  through  his  blood  and  righ- 
teousness alone,  I  shall  ere  long  enjoy  in  a 
world  above !  When  I  went  out  in  the  morn- 
ing to  the  house  of  God,  my  mind  seemed 
composed,  and  enjoyed,  as  it  were  before- 
hand, the  glad  sound  of  the  everlasting  gospel. 
But  when  in  the  sanctuary,  oh!  what  pleasure 
in  praying,  and  praising,  and  listening  to  the 
overtures  of  a  merciful  God  and  Father,  in 
and  through  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  I  And 
when  the  service  was  over,  as  I  returned  home 
through  the  fields,  the  Lord  blessed  me  in 
such  a  manner,  that  "  my  cup  run  over.'^  I 
could  hardly  support  myself  under  the  trans- 
M  2 


138  LIFE  OF 

porting  pressure  of  such  ecstatic  joy,  such  un- 
utterable rapture.  A  carnal  world  may  laugh 
at  these  expressions,  and  call  them  enthusias- 
tic; but  all  the  men  upon  earth  will  never 
convince  me,  but  that  I  then  really  experi- 
enced a  joy  to  which  all  that  the  world  calls 
joy  can  bear  no  comparison;  nor  can  they 
persuade  me  but  that  the  source  from  which 
this  joy  sprung,  was  truly  scriptural  and  evan- 
gelical. My  eyes  directed  toward  heaven, 
and  my  heart  breathing  out  fervent  desires 
after  a  spiritual  sight  of  an  all-sufficient  Sa- 
viour, I  was  imperceptibly  led  to  reflect,  that 
far  beyond  the  blue  canopy  so  magnificently 
extended  over  my  head,  that  same  Saviour 
was  undoubtedly  seated  at  the  right  hand  of 
Jehovah,  and  pleading  for  poor,  guilty,  help- 
less me.  This  thought  struck  me  with  such 
compunction  of  soul,  and  infused  into  my 
breast  such  a  sweet  and  full  assurance  of  eter- 
nal bliss,  that,  as  I  have  already  mentioned, 
feeble  flesh  and  blood  could  hardly  stand  un- 
der it.  I  walked  along,  praising  God  with 
such  ecstasy  of  soul,  that  it  brought  to  my  re- 
membrance a  carnal  notion  I  have  frequently 
had,  of  the  employment  of  the  saints  in  hea- 
ven.    Before  I  knew  what  the  sweets  of  re- 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  139 

ligion  were,  I  never  could  rightly  conceive 
how  the  blessed  hosts  above  could  find  so 
much  pleasure  in  continually  worshipping 
around  the  throne:  surely,  I  thought,  they 
must  some  time  or  other  be  tired,  or  at  least, 
by  way  of  relaxation,  seek  to  vary  their  em- 
ployment. But  how  differently  did  I  think 
now!  What  worlds  would  I  have  given  to 
remain  always  in  such  a  frame  as  this!  The 
idea  that  there  was  such  a  praising  state  of 
bliss  that  would  never  have  an  end,  ravished 
my  soul.  I  could  not  help  crying  out  aloud 
to  the  inanimate  things  around  me, — Now  I 
know  what  the  joy  of  saints  and  angels  means, 
and  no  longer  wonder  that  they  continually 
cry,  "  Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  Almigh- 
ty, which  was,  and  is,  and  is  to  come;"  and 
unweariedly  repeat,  "Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that 
was  slain,  to  receive  power,  and  riches,  and 
wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honour,  and  glory, 
and  blessing."     0  that  I  were  among  them! 

August  22.  Any  one  who  shall  take  a 
view  of  the  state  of  my  mind,  as  described  in 
the  foregoing  passage,  would  naturally  think 
I  was  a  very  happy  Christian  indeed,  and 
knew  not  what  it  was  to  pass  through  the  dif- 
ficult and  gloomy  part  of  the  road  that  leads 


140  LIFE  OF 

to  heaven.  But  he  would  be  very  much  mis- 
taken: for  God  and  my  own  soul  know,  that 
for  one  comfortable  step  I  take,  I  go  ten 
mourning  and  sorrowing.  The  bright  and 
ravishing  gleams  of  God's  love  to  my  soul  are 
so  soon  clouded  by  the  workings  of  a  deceit- 
ful heart,  and  that  sinful  nature  which  I  carry 
about  me,  that  I  am  presently  left,  without 
the  light  of  his  countenance,  to  grapple  my 
way  in  the  dark,  through  a  sea  of  doubt  and 
dejection.  I  hate  sin;  blessed  be  the  name  of 
the  Lord:  but  I  am  every  day  sinning,  in 
thought,  word,  or  deed,  by  omission  and  com- 
mission; and  then  a  murmuring  conscience, 
and  a  tempting  and  accusing  devil,  so  beset 
me,  that  the  burden  of  sin  becomes  intolerably 
heavy.  And  when  at  this  season  my  faith 
should  be  particularly  in  exercise,  it  is  so  very 
weak,  so  little,  and  mixed  with  so  many 
doubts  and  fears,  that  it  can  hardly  be  called 
faith.  I  believe  that  the  blood  of  Jesus  is  suf- 
ficient to  take  away  all  sin;  but  when  I  would 
go  to  him  for  pardon,  the  devil  throws  a 
stumbling-block  in  my  way,  that  this  is  mak- 
ing Christ  the  minister  of  sin.  Though  my 
soul  abhors  the  very  idea,  yet  I  too  often 
hearken  to  the  deceiver,  and  for  fear  of  abus- 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  141 

ing  God's  mercy,  neglect  going  hourly  to 
Jesus  for  remission.  O  Christian,  whoever 
you  are  that  may  read  this,  beware  of  mistake 
here,  and  pray  fervently  to  God  for  his  Holy 
Spirit  to  direct  you  how  to  shape  your  course 
between  these  two  shoals.  Never  sin,  be- 
cause grace  abounds:  never  be  deterred  by 
Satan,  as  I  have  been,  from  going  continually 
to  Jesus  Christ  for  remission. 

September  12.  Among  the  many  enemies 
that  I  have  to  grapple  with  in  my  spiritual 
warfare,  I  find  few  so  constant  in  the  field  and 
so  difficult  to  subdue,  as  spiritual  pride.  For 
some  days  past,  it  has  haunted  me  more  than 
usual.  I  can  scarcely  apply  to  any  duty,  but 
it  is  sure  to  be  there;  and  when  one  would 
imagine  that  such  a  poor,  frail,  simple  being 
as  I  could  never  have  any  thing  to  do  with 
pride.  Yet,  alas!  too  true  it  is,  that  cursed 
sin  frequently  discovers  itself  in  my  heart. 
But  blessed  be  the  name  of  Jesus,  he  enables 
me  to  battle  hard  against  it.  And  a  very 
subtle  foe  it  is  to  encounter;  for  where  I 
least  expect  it,  there  it  is  sure  to  be.  When 
my  heart  is  big  with  grief,  and  groaning  un- 
der the  weight  of  sin,  even  there  it  mixes 
with  almost  every  sigh.     If  God  lifts  upon 


142  LIFE  OF 

me  the  light  of  his  countenance,  this  gigan- 
tic form  at  the  same  time  is  sure  to  erect  its 
stately  head.  Nay,  at  the  very  moment  I  am 
writing,  it  keeps  whispering  its  infernal  lan- 
guage with  every  letter  my  pen  forms;  and, 
if  grace  did  not  prevent,  would  force  me  to 
give  a  listening  ear  to  its  smooth,  insinuating 
voice. 

November  24.  Last  Sunday,  blessed  be 
the  name  of  Jesus!  I  was  not  disappointed  in 
my  hopes.  I  enjoyed  a  goodly  portion  of  his 
love.  I  could  "  call  him  Lord,  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,"  appropriate  him  to  myself  and  se- 
curely venture  my  eternal  all  on  his  everlast- 
ing love.  Oh  what  a  blessed  Sabbath  did  I 
experience !  What  sweet  composure  of  mind ! 
What  solid  joy  at  heart!  What  peace  of  con- 
science! I  was  not  carried  out  in  seraphic 
flights,  or  rapturous  ecstacies.  I  felt  some- 
thing, if  possible,  more  sublime  and  elevating 
within  me.  I  cannot  describe  it  in  a  more 
distinct  and  comprehensive  manner,  than  by 
saying  it  was  faith  in  exercise,  the  clearest 
"  evidence  of  things  not  seen,  and  the"  very 
"  substance  of"  what  I  "  hoped  for."  Christ 
was  all  to  me.  I  held  him  fast,  and  feared 
nothing,  no,  not  death  itself.     Jesus  enabled 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.     143 

me,  by  putting  his  love  in  my  soul,  to  bid 
defiance  to  all  his  terrors.  0  that  he  would 
in  like  manner  stand  by  me,  when  this  terri- 
ble, though  conquered  king,  makes  his  ap- 
pearance! Then  shall  I  not  fear,  though  I 
see  his  well-aimed  arrow  pointed  at  my  heart. 
My  soul  has  been  greatly  encouraged  and  es- 
tablished, within  these  few  days  past,  by  the 
preaching  of  the  word,  and  by  the  pious  con- 
versation of  some  eminent  and  humble  Chris- 
tians, particularly  the  Rev.  John  Newton.  0 
that  the  Lord  would  always  grant  me  such 
company!  It  would  be  a  little  heaven  on 
earth.  But  then  perhaps  I  should  be  apt  to 
forget  the  great  heaven  above.  The  Lord 
keep  me  from  resting  here! 

December  7.  Well  might  the  royal  pro- 
phet break  out  into  the  pathetic  and  affecting 
exclamation,  "  Lord,  what  is  man!'^  Weak- 
ness in  the  very  abstract;  unable  for  a  mo- 
ment to  preserve  himself  where  grace  has 
brought  him,  unless  continuing  grace  uphold 
him  there.  But  a  few  days  ago,  how  happy 
was  my  situation!  With  Jesus  Christ  in 
the  arms  of  my  faith,  I  could  exult  in  the 
strongest  hopes  of  eternal  bliss,  and  bid  a 
bold    defiance    to    all    the    powers    of    hell. 


144  LIFE  OF 

Alas!  how  changed!  Weak  and  fearful,  full 
of  doubts  and  murmuring  surmlsings;  with- 
out my  all-sufficient  prop,  I  reel  and  stagger, 
ready  every  moment  to  be  overcome  by  the 
powerful  enemies  that  beset  me  on  every  side. 
Oh  that  I  have  been  so  foolish !  for  I  am  sen- 
sible whence  all  this  comes.  I  have  neglect- 
ed to  obey  that  salutary  command  of  my  com- 
passionate Redeemer:  "Watch  and  pray,  lest 
ye  enter  into  temptation!"  In  the  midst  of 
danger,  I  have  dreamed  that  all  was  secure, 
and  ere  I  was  aware,  have  let  the  world  and 
the  devil  creep  into  my  heart,  naturally  prone 
to  receive  them:  and  who  knows  what  I  shall 
suffer  ere  they  be  driven  out;  but  by  the  grace 
of  God,  they  shall  not  lodge  there.  May  that 
all-sufficient  grace  which  has  opened  my 
eyes  to  see  my  foes,  a  blessing  not  bestowed 
on  all  men,  give  me  strength  also  to  fight 
manfully  against  them;  and,  in  its  own  good 
time  and  way,  drive  them  all  out  before  me. 

In  the  month  of  March  this  year,  Lieu- 
tenant Burn  was  visited  with  a  dangerous  ill- 
ness. The  next  entry  in  his  journal  de- 
scribes the  state  of  his  mind  under  that  afflic- 
tion, and  immediately  after  its  removal. 

April  2.    Blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord, 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  145 

I  am  still  in  the  land  of  the  living,  still  on 
praying  ground,  and,  by  his  grace,  still  hun- 
gering and  thirsting  after  Jesus  Christ:  and 
though  the  devil,  my  own  wandering  wicked 
heart,  and  an  ensnaring  world,  have  robbed 
me  of  my  comfort  and  many  precious  bless- 
ings, yet  through  mercy,  rich  unmerited  mer- 
cy, they  have  not  bereaved  me  of  this  seeking 
wrestling  spirit:  and  if  Jesus  Christ  hath  pro- 
mised that  such  shall  be  filled,  that  such  shall 
find,  that  such  shall  overcome,  what  have  I  to 
fear?  Nothing  but  unbelief.  Lord,  destroy 
that,  and  I  am  happy.  I  thank  thee,  blessed 
Jesus,  that  it  is  not  so  prevalent  as  it  was,  and 
that  thou  hast  given  me  grace  to  rely  upon 
thee,  be  my  frames  and  feelings  what  they 
will;  and,  amidst  the  working  of  a  deceitful 
heart  and  the  suggestions  of  a  cunning  devil, 
still  to  hang  upon  thee.  Lord,  increase  my 
faith. — Within  the  last  month  the  Lord  has 
been  pleased  to  lay  his  afflicting  hand  upon 
me,  even  to  bring  me  to  the  very  brink  of  the 
grave;  and,  what  was  more  grievous  to  bear 
than  all  my  bodily  pain,  during  the  greatest 
part  of  my  illness  the  enemy  was  permitted 
to  bufiet  me,  the  comfortable  presence  of  my 
God  was  withdrawn  from  me,  and  darkness, 

N 


146  LIFE  OF 

doubts,  and  fears,  took  possession  of  my  soul; 
a  state  which  those  only  who  have  experi- 
enced it  can  conceive.  It  is  dreadful,  with 
one  foot  in  the  grave,  and  the  other  almost 
there,  to  look  into  eternity  without  a  strong 
hold  of  Jesus  Christ.  I  have  at  times  looked 
death  in  the  face  with  pleasure;  but  it  was  al- 
ways when  I  had  Jesus  near  my  heart.  I 
never  could  bear  the  sight  of  that  grisly  mo- 
narch, if  Christ  was  at  any  distance  from  me. 
Come  then.  Lord  Jesus,  and  dwell  for  ever  in 
this  heart  of  mine;  purge  it;  make  it  a  holy- 
receptacle  for  thy  blessed  self. — I  trust  this 
sickness  has  been  truly  sanctified  to  me;  for, 
if  I  am  not  greatly  deceived,  it  has  filled  me 
with  fresh  ardour  after  that  Almighty  Saviour, 
who  alone  is  able  to  deliver  from  the  fears  of 
death  and  the  pains  of  hell. 

About  a  month  after  his  recovery.  Lieu- 
tenant B.  went  to  Scotland.  An  observation 
made  just  before  he  set  out  on  the  voyage, 
discovers  a  deep  sense  of  his  religious  obliga- 
tions, and  great  diffidence  of  his  own  heart. 

May  1.  For  some  weeks  past  I  have  pur- 
posed, in  compliance  with  the  earnest  re- 
quest of  an  aflfectionate  father,  to  pay  him  a 
visit,  with  my  wife  and  child;  but  the  dread 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  147 

of  dishonouring  the  cause  of  God,  when  I 
get  among  my  relatives,  or  in  the  midst  of 
strangers,  by  being  ashamed  boldly  to  act  up 
to  the  profession  I  have  made  for  three  years 
past,  makes  me  quite  miserable.  I  know  by 
bitter  experience,  what  dreadful  havoc  shame 
can  make  in  the  heart  of  an  awakened  sinner; 
and  I  tremble  at  the  thought  of  being  put  to 
the  trial. 

After  an  absence  of  nearly  three  months  he 
returned  to  Chatham,  inspired  with  fervent 
gratitude  to  the  Father  of  mercies  for  all  the 
goodness  which  had  attended  himself  and  fa- 
mily.    He  writes, 

August  1.  Blessed  be  the  name  of  the 
Lord;  for  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever.  His 
word  is  faithful  and  true,  and  all  his  promises 
are  yea  and  amen  in  Christ  Jesus.  He  will 
never  leave  nor  forsake  his  people;  his  ever- 
lasting arms  shall  be  underneath  them:  "the 
bruised  reed  he  will  not  break,  neither  will  he 
quench  the  smoking  flax.'^  Eternally  bless- 
ed be  his  great  name,  that  he  hath  evidently 
accomplished  these  precious  promises  in  the 
behalf  of  my  poor,  weak,  trembling  soul.  Oh 
how  was  I  tempted!  how  did  I  doubt!  how 
did  I  fear  and  tremble,  but  three  months  ago 


148  LIFE  OF 

before  I  set  out  on  my  voyage,  lest  I  should 
turn  my  back  upon  him,  be  ashamed  of  him 
before  men,  and  bring  reproach  upon  his 
cause.  Alas !  I  came  far,  very  far  short  of 
what  I  ought  to  have  done.  Yet  to  his  glory, 
and  his  alone,  be  it  spoken,  his  strength  was 
made  manifest  in  my  weakness,  and  his 
sovereign  grace,  in  a  wonderful,  unexpected 
manner,  was  always  at  hand  to  support  and 
encourage  me  in  the  trying  hour.  When  I 
began  to  sink,  and  despair  of  being  able  to 
speak  for  him,  he  raised  up  means  to  rouse 
and  strengthen  me,  so  that  at  times  I  was 
made  to  rejoice  in  his  love,  to  speak  boldly  in 
his  name,  and  to  fear  the  face  of  no  man. — 
When  we  embarked,  and  indeed  for  some 
time  before,  I  was  led  to  see  that  it  was  my 
indispensable  duty  to  endeavour  to  establish 
public  prayer  while  we  were  on  board  the 
ship;  but  to  propose  it  to  the  Captain  was  a 
task  I  dreaded.  When  evening  drew  near, 
that  I  knew  I  must  do  it  then  or  not  at  all,  I 
began  to  tremble,  ruminated  on  various  ways 
by  which  I  should  first  open  the  proposal  to 
him,  and  prayed  to  the  Lord  for  his  grace  to 
help  me.  While  I  was  thus  employed,  the 
Lord  put  it  into  the  hearts  of  my  wife  and 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  149 

another  person,  altogether  without  my  know- 
ledge, to  propose  it  to  the  captain;  and  he 
readily  consented  to  it;  just  in  the  midst  of  all 
my  fears  they  came  into  the  cabin,  and  recom- 
mended our  going  to  prayer.  This  unex- 
pected instance  of  the  Almighty's  condescen- 
sion, in  answering  my  mental  petitions,  so 
struck  me  that  I  could  hardly  restrain  myself 
from  rising  up  and  leaping  for  joy;  every 
doubt  and  fear  vanished  in  a  moment,  and  the 
captain  declining  to  officiate  himself,  I  was 
pitched  upon;  and,  had  the  whole  assembled 
world  been  there,  I  should  not  then  have  de- 
clined calling  upon  the  God  of  my  salvation 
before  them  all. — The  Lord's  providential 
care  over  us  during  the  voyage,  was  still  more 
evident  and  remarkable.  The  prayers  of 
many  saints  went  with  us!  and  if  ever  the 
petitions  of  poor  sinners  were  heard  at  a 
throne  of  grace,  they  certainly  were.  No 
sooner  was  the  day  fixed  for  our  sailing,  than 
the  weather,  which  but  a  few  hours  before  was 
stormy,  became  unexpectedly  fine,  and  the 
wind,  that  was  quite  contrary,  became  alto- 
gether favourable;  and  what  was  even  re- 
marked by  the  unthinking  part  of  the  crew, 
when  we  were  about  to  sail  round  a  head-land, 
n3 


150  LIFE  OF 

and  consequently  to  alter  our  course,  and  an 
alteration  in  the  wind  became  necessary,  it 
never  failed  to  happen  the  very  moment  it 
was  wanted :  so  that  long  before  we  expected 
it,  we  were  gently  and  imperceptibly  wafted 
to  our  desired  port,  where  we  had  scarcely 
been  landed  an  hour,  when  the  weather  again 
changed  to  the  reverse  of  what  it  had  been, 
and  continued  so  for  a  long  time.  Thus  did 
the  Lord  evidently  protect  and  favour  us;  and 
not  only  here,  but  in  many  other  instances. 
Oh  that  I  should  have  made  such  an  unworthy 
return!  Instead  of  growing  warmer  in  my 
affections  towards  him,  I  think  I  grew  colder 
and  colder.  The  lukewarm  spirit  of  most  of 
those  among  whom  I  had  been  in  Scotland, 
had  so  much  infected  me,  that  when  I  return- 
ed I  found  my  soul  almost  dead  to  spiritual 
things.  May  the  Lord  quicken  me,  and 
kindle  in  my  heart  a  flame  of  love  to  his  bless- 
ed self;  that  I  may  set  out  afresh  in  his  ways, 
and  live  more  to  his  glory  than  I  have  ever 
yet  done. 

Lieutenant  Burn's  papers  contain  no  account 
of  any  circumstance  that  occurred  for  more 
than  twelve  months  after  his  return  from 
Scotland.     We  proceed  to  transcribe  a  few 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.     151 

more  of  his  pious  reflections,  among  which 
we  cannot  overlook  the  devout  and  humble 
sentiments  with  which  he  closed  the  year 
1774. 

December  30.  If  the  Lord  in  mercy  spares 
me  to  the  end  of  another  year,  I  hope  I  shall 
be  enabled  to  look  upon  it  with  more  pleasure 
than  I  now  do  upon  this.  Alas !  how  little 
have  I  lived  to  the  glory  of  God!  What  a 
very  small  portion  of  my  heart  has  God  had! 
And  without  the  heart,  all  my  bodily  exer- 
cise, praying,  reading,  hearing,  singing,  re- 
proving, exhorting,  giving  of  alms,  meditat- 
ing, examining,  groaning,  sighing,  weeping, 
&c.,  will  signify  little  or  nothing.  Without 
faith,  it  is  impossible  to  please  God!  and 
where  the  heart  is  not,  there  can  be  no  faith ; 
"  for  with  the  heart  man  believeth.'^  How 
very  ignorant  and  foolish,  then,  are  those  who 
content  themselves  with  being  found  in  the 
ordinances  of  God,  without  carefully  exami- 
ning whether  they  carry  their  hearts  with 
them!  And  how  often,  0  my  soul,  hast  thou 
been  thus  foolish!  Surely  with  such  sacrifices 
God  was  not  well  pleased.  The  Lord  have 
mercy  upon  me  a  sinner.  I  can  see  nothing 
but  what  is  vile   in  myself;    but    all  fulness 


152  LIFE  OF 

dwelleth  in  Jesus:  therefore  to  him  I  come, 
on  him  alone  will  I  rely;  for  I  have  learned 
more  this  year  than  I  have  ever  yet  done,  that 
w^ithout  him  I  can  do  nothing;  but  through 
him  I  am  more  than  conqueror  over  all  my 
foes.  I  therefore  desire  to  conclude  the  year, 
to  begin  another,  to  continue  through  life, 
and  to  finish  my  last  moments  with  crying 
from  the  heart,  "  None  but  Christ!  None  but 
Christ!" 

Among  the  favours  of  Providence  which 
demanded  the  most  grateful  acknowledg- 
ments, Lieutenant  B.  considered  it  far  from 
the  least,  that  he  was  kept  so  long  on  shore, 
while  all  his  brother  officers,  not  one  except- 
ed, had  been  sent  to  sea.  He  had  been  sta- 
tioned at  Chatham  for  five  years;  but  the  time 
was  now  approaching  for  his  removal.  The 
prospect  of  separation  from  a  beloved  family, 
could  not  fail  to  excite  many  painful  emotioi>6 
in  an  affectionate  heart;  but  the  principal  con- 
cern which  occupied  his  mind  appears  to  have 
been  for  the  consistency  and  purity  of  his 
Christian  character. 

On  the  8th  of  December,  1775,  with  a  de- 
tachment of  marines,  he  embarked  on  board 
the  Milford,  a  frigate  of  28  guns,  commanded 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  153 

by  Captain  J.  Burr.  Captain  Burr  allowed 
him  to  return  and  remain  on  shore  as  long  as 
the  Milford  lay  at  Chatham,  and  until  she  was 
about  to  sail  from  Sheerness.  On  the  18th, 
he  took  an  affectionate  leave  of  his  family, 
and  went  on  board.  The  commencement  of 
the  voyage  was  distinguished  by  a  season- 
able discovery  and  prevention  of  danger,  cal- 
culated to  make  a  serious  impression  on  every 
thoughtful  mind.     He  writes — 

December  19.  We  sailed  from  Sheerness 
and  came  to  an  anchor  at  the  Warp,  the  day 
being  hazy  and  the  wind  rather  too  short  to 
carry  us  through  the  Narrows.  Here  the 
providence  of  God  began  to  be  evidently 
manifested  in  our  favour.  A  sailor  in  the 
foretop  perceived  something  the  matter  with 
the  topmast,  that  it  did  not  sit  as  it  should, 
but  could  not  well  tell  why.  This  brought 
on  a  more  strict  examination,  and  the  top- 
mast was  found  so  thoroughly  rotten,  that  its 
own  weight  had  carried  it  several  inches  be- 
low the  iron  bar  on  which  it  rested.  The 
Captain  immediately  consulted  with  his  offi- 
cers; and  though  our  orders  were  very  press- 
ing to  proceed  to  Portsmouth,  it  was  unani- 
mously agreed  to  return  to  Sheerness;  which 


154  LIFE  OF 

we  accordingly  did,  and  got  another  topmast 
up  in  three  days.  What  the  consequence 
would  have  been,  had  we  gone  to  sea  with 
the  other,  God  only  knows.  We  are  certain 
it  could  not  have  stood  long;  some  devoted 
wretch  might  have  sufiered  from  its  fall;  or, 
perhaps,  had  it  gone  on  a  lee-shore,  it  might 
have  proved  the  loss,  not  only  of  the  ship,  but 
of  every  soul  in  her.  0  that  men  could  but 
see  the  goodness  of  God,  and  be  thankful !  He 
foresees  and  prevents  the  evil  that  would 
prove  their  destruction;  while  they,  uncon- 
cerned about  the  matter,  forget  or  despise  him 
and  his  mercies  too. 

Delayed  by  calms  and  contrary  winds,  they 
did  not  reach  Spithead  till  the  first  of  January. 
Portsmouth  was  a  place  which  could  not  be 
visited  by  Lieutenant  B.  without  awakening 
some  interesting  recollections  of  former  days, 
and  thankfulness  for  the  contrast  of  his  pre- 
sent circumstances.     He  writes — 

January  6,  1776.  I  went  ashore  early  this 
morning,  after  breakfast;  the  weather  being 
fair,  I  seized  the  opportunity,  sauntered  about 
the  town,  and  had  a  most  agreeable  walk  upon 
the  ramparts.  Oh  how  my  heart  glowed  with 
gratitude  the  instant  I  began  to  recollect  that 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  155 

there  was  a  time  I  travelled  round  these  walls, 
when  my  situation  in  every  respect  was  most 
wretched,  compared  to  what  it  is  at  present: 
blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord,  who  brought 
about  the  happy  change.  Then,  tired  out  with 
hunger  and  fatigue,  I  passed  one  tedious  hour 
after  another,  not  knowing  where  to  satisfy  a 
craving  appetite  or  to  lay  my  head  at  night, 
no  money  to  purchase  either,  and  without  any 
solid  prospect  of  a  future  maintenance  in  the 
world;  and,  what  is  worst  of  all,  my  eyes 
sealed  to  the  true  light  of  the  gospel,  and 
my  mind  as  yet  ignorant  of  the  saving 
knowledge  of  Christ.  Now,  glory  to  his 
name!  I  am  neither  tired  nor  hungry;  I 
know  where  to  go  for  a  good  dinner  and 
where  to  lay  my  head  peaceably  at  night, 
with  a  sufficiency  in  my  pocket  to  pur- 
chase whatever  I  want.  My  fortune  in  the 
world  is  not  great,  but  sufficient.  Blessed 
with  the  woman  I  love,  and  my  dear  little 
prattling  babes,  I  desire  no  more.  But,  what 
is  far  preferable  to  all  this,  I  humbly  trust  the 
Lord  hath  opened  the  eyes  of  my  understand- 
ing, to  see  my  ruined  state  by  nature,  and  to 
know  and  embrace  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus. 
Transported  with  pleasing  reflections  on  what 


156  LIFE  OF 

God  had  thus  graciously  done  for  me,  I  could 
not  forbear  tuning  a  hymn  of  thanksgiving  to 
his  praise,  while  I  cheerfully  tripped  along  the 
ramparts;  my  outward  gesture  sufficiently  de- 
monstrating what  joy  and  satisfaction  reigned 
within.  Surely,  I  thought,  God  must  be  my 
God,  or  he  would  not  thus  have  blessed  me. 

While  they  were  at  Spithead  they  received 
orders  from  the  Admiralty  to  proceed  to  Ply- 
mouth, to  take  on  board  artificers  for  Halifax. 
Having  now  the  prospect  of  a  long  voyage. 
Lieutenant  B.  thought  it  right  to  fix  on  some 
regular  method  of  distributing  and  employing 
his  time:  and  accordingly  prescribed  to  him- 
self the  following  rules  for  that  purpose.  He 
writes — 

January  12.  Having  perceived,  within 
these  few  days  past,  indolence  and  inactivity 
gradually  creeping  upon  me,  and  being  very 
sensible,  from  former  experience,  that,  if  not 
speedily  checked,  it  may  prove  in  the  end 
very  prejudicial  both  to  soul  and  body;  I  am 
therefore  determined,  by  the  blessing  of  God, 
in  order  to  stop  its  further  progress,  to  adopt 
the  following  plan  of  living  while  I  remain  on 
board  the  Milford;  which  I  purpose  closely 
and  perseveringly  to  adhere  to,  unless  pre- 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  157 

vented  by  sickness,  urgent  business,  or  any 
other  unforeseen  hindrance  which  I  cannot 
possibly  avoid: — 

In  the  months  of  November,  December, 
January,  and  February,  to  rise  at  seven 
o'clock;  in  October  and  March  at  six;  and 
the  rest  of  the  year  at  five. 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  in  the  morning, 
the  instant  I  wake,  is,  to  lift  up  my  heart  in 
prayer  to  God,  to  thank  him  for  his  mercies 
during  the  night,  and  to  implore  his  protec- 
tion through  the  ensuing  day:  then  to  rise, 
and  dress  myself  as  I  purpose  going  the  whole 
day:  after  which,  to  retire  to  my  cabin,  and 
spend  some  time  in  prayer,  reading  the  scrip- 
ture, and  chaunting  a  hymn:  and  if  breakfast 
is  not  ready,  take  a  walk  upon  deck  till  it  is. 

After  breakfast,  I  will  spend  some  time  in 
reading  or  writing,  according  as  the  pain  in 
my  breast  will  permit  me,  if  not  otherwise 
employed  in  my  duty  as  an  officer;  after 
which  I  will  spend  some  time  in  walking 
upon  deck  till  dinner. 

Dinner  over,  I  will  again  retire  to  my  ca- 
bin, offer  up  my  soul  to  God  in  prayer,  and 
read  a  passage  in  the  Spiritual  Treasury,  and 
then  take  a  walk  upon  deck  till  dark;  spend- 


158  LIFE  OF 

ing  the  evening  in  reading  or  writing,  if  I  find 
the  company  of  my  messmates  otherwise  than 
useful  or  entertaining. 

At  nine  or  ten,  but  never  later  than  eleven, 
to  retire  to  my  cabin,  pray  to  God,  and  to  go 
to  rest. 

N.  B.  At  twelve  at  noon,  never  to  forget 
to  retire,  to  pray  for  my  wife,  my  children, 
my  parents,  and  all  my  Christian  brethren:  if 
I  have  not  an  opportunity  of  doing  this  at 
noon,  to  do  it  as  soon  after  as  possible. — 0 
Lord  Jesus,  thou  knowest  how  imperfect  I 
am,  and  how  unable  to  act  any  way  suitably 
to  the  profession  I  have  made;  in  mercy 
therefore  assist  me  to  keep  this  resolution,  as 
far  as  it  is  consistent  with  thy  will,  and  enable 
me  to  live  to  thy  glory. 

On  the  16th  of  January,  when  they  were 
near  the  Eddystone,  the  master  was  at  the 
helm  and  undertook  to  carry  the  ship  into 
Plymouth  Sound  that  night.  About  ten  or 
eleven  o'clock,  it  was  discovered  that,  instead 
of  being  in  Plymouth  Sound,  they  were 
"  hampered  in  Bigbury-bay,"  a  few  miles 
eastward  of  Plymouth;  a  bay  which  appears 
to  offer  the  finest  anchorage,  but  the  bottom 
is  full  of  sharp  rocks,  which  presently  cut  the 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  15^ 

cables  of  any  anchors  that  can  be  thrown  out ; 
so  that  few  vessels  that  have  run  into  that 
bay  have  ever  been  known  to  get  out  again. 
In  the  present  case,  the  discovery  was  made 
at  the  critical  juncture:  if  it  had  been  a  little 
later,  or  if  the  wind  had  blown  strongly  to- 
wards the  shore,  they  must  inevitably  have 
been  wrecked,  and  it  is  not  likely  that  any 
would  have  escaped;  but  the  mistake  was 
happily  discovered  in  time  to  admit  of  their 
standing  out  to  sea,  and  the  next  morning 
they  reached  their  desired  port.  The  several 
hair-breadth  escapes  they  had  experienced,  be- 
tween their  departure  from  Sheerness  and 
their  arrival  at  Plymouth,  were  justly  re- 
garded by  Lieutenant  B.  as  so  many  in- 
stances of  the  divine  goodness  towards  them. 
He  says — 

January  17.  The  Lord  hath  been  remark- 
ably gracious  to  us.  0  that  we  could  but  be 
truly  thankful.  The  care  of  the  Almighty 
has  been  so  evidently  manifested  in  our  fa- 
vour, than  even  those  on  board  the  ship  who 
have  not  the  fear  of  God  before  their  eyes, 
could  not  help  observing  it.  I  need  only  re- 
peat the  speech  of  one  of  my  messmates  to- 
day at  dinner.     '  When  I  consider,'  said  he 


160  LIFE  OF 

^how  badly  this  ship  was  fitted  out,  the  raw- 
ness and  inexperience  of  our  hands,  the  sea- 
son of  the  year,  the  stormy  weather  we  have 
had,  and  our  last  night's  affair  in  Bigbury- 
bay,  I  cannot  account  for  our  being  here,  un- 
less it  was  downright  Providence  that  brought 
us.'  Surely,  and  that  same  Providence  must 
attend  us  all  our  journey  through,  or  we  shall 
never  prosper. 

On  the  20th  they  sailed  from  Plymouth, 
and  on  the  22d  lost  sight  of  England.  He 
observes — 

February  11.  To-day,  about  noon,  the 
mizen-yard  fell  down,  and  was  within  a  fev/ 
inches  of  killing  the  first  lieutenant  and  a 
midshipman;  but  fortunately  did  no  other 
damage  than  making  a  few  dents  in  the  quar- 
ter-deck. I  cannot  forbear  mentioning  a  par- 
ticular circumstance  with  regard  to  myself. 
It  has  been  a  constant  custom  with  me  ever 
since  we  sailed,  to  walk  the  quarter-deck 
about  noon ;  but  to-day  (having  had  little 
rest  in  the  night)  I  lay  down  upon  my  bed, 
where  I  was  dozing  in  safety,  when  the  yard 
fell.  It  came  down  between  the  lieutenant 
and  the  binnacle,  the  side  I  generally  walk  on 
when  we  are  upon  deck  together.     Who  can 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  161 

tell  what  the  event  would  have  been  had  I 
been  there.  Surely  the  Lord  kept  me  out  of 
the  way  of  harm. 

The  delays  they  had  experienced  from 
storms  and  contrary  winds,  excited  an  appre- 
hension that  their  stock  of  water  might  not 
be  sufficient  for  the  remainder  of  the  voyage; 
and  it  was  therefore  determined  to  stop  at 
Fayal,  one  of  the  Azores,  or  Western  Islands, 
to  take  in  a  fresh  supply. 

Nothing  that  requires  our  recital  occurred 
during  the  remainder  of  their  voyage  across 
the  Atlantic.  On  the  26th  of  March,  1776, 
after  a  passage  of  four  weeks  from  Fayal,  and 
above  nine  weeks  from  England,  they  reach- 
ed the  port  of  Boston.  Before  their  arrival, 
the  British  troops  had  been  constrained  to 
evacuate  the  town  and  retire  on  board  the 
fleet;  which  retained  possession  of  Nantasket 
bay. 

This  month  terminated  with  two  more  es- 
capes from  shipwreck,  which  impressed  the 
mind  of  Lieutenant  B.  with  a  sense  of  his  in- 
creasing obligations  to  the  divine  goodness,  and 
compelled  even  the  lips  of  the  profane  to  ac- 
knowledge the  hand  of  God  in  their  preserva- 
tion. The  Milford  vvas  ordered  on  a  cruise 
o  2 


162  LIFE  OF 

to  clear  the  coast  from  the  enemy's  armed 
vessels.  On  the  30th  Lieutenant  B.  says, 
"  In  turning  out  of  the  road,  the  ship  missed 
staySj  just  as  we  were  close  in  with  the  rocks 
on  the  Lighthouse  Island,  and  was  within  a 
few  yards  of  being  on  shore:  had  she  missed 
stays  a  second  time,  she  must  inevitably  have 
been  lost.  We  were  all  thoroughly  frightened 
at  the  danger,  but  not  half  thankful  enough 
for  the  deliverance." 

31st.  This  afternoon,  being  able  to  see  a 
little  way  a-head,  we  were  wuthin  a  trifle  of 
foundering  on  a  rock  near  Marble-Head.  Af- 
ter this  second  escape,  the  captain  said  in  the 
cabin,  before  several  of  his  officers,  "Gentle- 
men, you  have  heard  me  often  say,  and  I  re- 
peat it  again,  since  we  sailed  from  England, 
we  have  been  so  frequently  upon  the  brink  of 
destruction,  that  nothing  but  the  goodness  of 
God  could  have  saved  us  from  it."  Oh  how 
lamentable  it  is,  to  be  brought  to  acknowledge 
this  truth  with  the  lips,  and  yet  daily  and 
hourly,  by  cursing,  and  swearing,  and  all  man- 
ner of  blasphemy,  to  be  ungratefully  sinning 
against  that  God  who  is  so  very  kind.  Glory 
to  his  name  for  his  long  forbearing  mercy! 

It  would  be  tedious  to  the  reader  to  go 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BTTRN.  163 

through  the  details  which  Lieutenant  B.'s  jour- 
nal contains  of  this  and  the  subsequent  cruises 
of  the  Milford,  during  her  continuance  on  the 
American  station,  for  nearly  two  years  of  his 
life. 

In  the  course  of  the  last  cruise,  which  lasted 
about  seven  weeks,  they  met  with  several 
very  remarkable  deliverances  from  the  jaws 
of  death.  At  such  seasons  of  trouble,  in  a  pe- 
culiar manner.  Lieutenant  B.  felt  it  to  be  both 
his  duty  and  his  privilege  to  call  upon  God; 
and  he  has  recorded  many  instances  of  pre- 
servation, which  he  considered  as  answers  to 
his  prayers.  "Oh  what  a  treasure,^'  says  he, 
"is  a  throne  of  grace;  and  how  blessed  the 
man  who  has  learned  to  approach  it!  Not  all 
the  riches  of  the  Indies  can  be  compared  with 
this.  Here  I  can  get  freely,  for  Christ's  sake, 
what  gold  cannot  purchase, — the  protection  of 
the  Almighty." 

The  best  of  men  have  shown  the  most  rigid 
severity  in  the  judgments  which  they  have 
passed  upon  their  own  conduct.  Comparing 
themselves  with  the  standard  of  Christian  per- 
fection, and  the  claims  of  infinite  goodness, 
they  have  often  confessed  and  lamented  great 
defects  and  small  attainments,  even  in  those 


164  LIFE  OF 

parts  of  their  characters  in  which  they  have 
excelled  the  generality  of  their  fellow  Chris- 
tians. Few  men  have  been  more  submissive 
to  divine  allotments,  or  more  grateful  for  di- 
vine interpositions,  than  Lieutenant  B.;  yet, 
on  this  very  cruise,  he  seems  to  include  him- 
self with  his  companions  in  the  following  con- 
fession:— "Though  we  are  always  ready  to 
murmur  against  a  God  of  providence,  when 
his  ways  seem  to  thwart  our  selfish  inclina- 
tions, w^e  are  not  so  apt  to  acknowledge  his 
goodness,  when  things  are  brought  about  to 
our  utmost  wishes  in  an  unexpected  manner." 
On  returning  once  more  to  Halifax,  he  says: 
— "This  last  cruise  will  prove  one  of  the  least 
advantageous  of  any  we  have  had  on  the  coast; 
but  I  hope  I  shall  ever  remember  it  as  one  of 
the  most  fortunate:  it  exhibits  so  many  in- 
stances of  a  divine  providence  displayed  in 
our  behalf — In  this  frail,  imperfect,  sinful 
state,  we  may  now  and  then  get  a  glimpse  of 
some  of  the  outlines  of  that  amazuig  plan  by 
which  the  God  of  providence  directs  and  rules 
over  all  his  creatures.  But  to  trace  all  the 
mysterious,  intricate  windings  and  turnings 
by  which  events  are  brought  to  pass,  is  re- 
served for  those  only  who,  through  the  bless- 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.     165 

ed  JesuSj  shall  be  found  worthy  to  reign  with 
him  in  another  world.  Yet  even  here,  the 
displays  of  his  goodness  are  so  manifest  and 
numerous,  that,  to  the  attentive  observer,  they 
cannot  but  afford  a  continual  feast  of  solid 
pleasure.  What  we  once  thought  our  greatest 
misfortune,  we  now  see  proves  to  be  our  great- 
est mercy. — In  judging  of  events,  we  are  all 
too  apt  to  ^call  good  evil  and  evil  good:'  and 
this  should  teach  us  to  leave  the  issue  of  every 
event  to  the  Ruler  of  the  universe,  without  the 
least  repining;  because  he  certainly  cannot  err, 
as  we  do  daily,  but  must  act  for  his  own  glory 
and  our  good!'^ 

In  the  course  of  the  next  week,  they  were 
in  the  greatest  danger  of  being  shipwrecked 
in  Halifax  harbour,  by  a  violent  storm.  He 
writes — 

Dec.  27.  The  Milford  is  ordered  home,  and 
we  are  now  fitting  her  out  with  the  greatest 
expedition  for  the  purpose:  but  whether  it 
will  please  God  to  send  me  home  in  her,  is 
yet  very  doubtful:  as  the  marines  of  the  ships 
that  went  home  last  year,  were  taken  out  just 
before  they  sailed.  At  any  rate,  if  the  com- 
modore does  not  change  his  mind,  this  sudden 
measure  must  produce  a  great  change  in  my 


166  LIFE  OF 

situation.  Nothing  that  I  can  possibly  con- 
ceive in  this  life,  could  give  me  so  much  plea- 
sure and  satisfaction,  as  being  once  more  com- 
fortably fixed  with  my  wife  and  children. 
But,  if  it  be  the  Lord's  will  to  determine  it 
otherwise,  my  heart  deceives  me  very  much, 
if  after  a  few  struggles,  it  would  not  cheerfully 
acquiesce  in  the  decree  of  providence.  Let 
me  go  or  stay,  my  whole  heart  and  soul  shall 
cry,  The  will  of  the  Lord  be  done. 

On  the  twenty-seventh  of  January,  Lieu- 
tenant Burn  had  the  pleasure  of  sailing  from 
Halifax.  After  a  passage  of  twenty  days,  the 
Milford  was  safely  anchored  at  Spithead.  It 
soon  became  matter  of  universal  astonishment 
that  she  had  escaped  foundering;  for  when 
the  bottom  was  examined,  the  main  keel  was 
found  to  be  broken  in  two. 

On  the  twenty-eighth  of  February,  Lieu- 
tenant B.  says:  "This  afternoon,  by  the  bless- 
ing of  God,  I  arrived  safe  at  home,  to  the 
great  joy  of  my  famil}^,  all  of  whom  1  found 
in  tolerable  health.  1  would  now  pour  out 
my  soul  in  gratitude  to  that  indulgent  Father, 
who  for  above  these  two  years  past  hath  so 
amazingly  preserved  me.  When  I  look  back 
upon  the  path  I  have  travelled,  there  is  a  re- 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  167 

dundancy  of  love  and  mercy  attending  every 
step.  0  Lord!  I  adore  and  bless  thee;  and 
from  the  bottom  of  my  soul  desire  to  be 
wholly  thine." 


TO    CAPTAIN   burn's    RETURN    FROM    INDIA, 

1781. 


The  happiness  which  Lieutenant  B.  enjoyed 
in  the  bosom  of  his  family  and  the  society  of 
his  friends,  was  not  to  continue  long  uninter- 
rupted. At  the  end  of  ten  weeks,  he  was  or- 
dered on  the  recruiting  service.  In  this  ser- 
vice he  spent  above  six  months,  principally  at 
Bristol;  returning  to  head-quarters  with  re- 
cruits, and  so  having  the  opportunity  of  seeing 
his  family  two  or  three  times  during  that  pe- 
riod. 

From  this  part  of  the  journal,  we  cannot 
forbear  transcribing  an  incidental  attestation 
to  the  practical  efficacy  of  a  doctrine,  which 
its  rejectors  have  stigmatised  as  "relaxing  the 
obligations  of  virtue;"  we  mean  the  doctrine 
of  atonement  for  sin  by  the  death  of  Christ. 

Yesterday  morning  I  had  some  glances  of 
the  preciousness  of  Jesus  and  his  great  salva- 
tion, and  in  the  evening,  Mr. preached 


168  LIFE  OF 

an  excellent  sermon,  which  filled  me  with 
holy  ardour  to  know  and  enjoy  more  and 
more  of  that  glorious  subject.  0  how  the 
truths  of  the  gospel,  when  preached  in  their 
purity,  lead  the  soul  to  pant  after  holiness!  I 
will  leave  this  testimony  behind  me;  that  I 
never  wished  nor  wrestled  half  so  much  to  be 
holy,  as  when  I  saw  my  sins  wholly  done 
away  in  Christ. 

The  last  month  of  this  year  Lieutenant  B. 
remained  at  Chatham.  He  entered  on  the 
year  1779  with  the  prospect  of  being  soon 
ordered  on  more  active  service,  and  with  sen- 
timents suitable  to  such  an  expectation. 

Some  time  in  this  month  Mr.  B.  was  ap- 
pointed captain-lieutenant;  and,  soon  after,  he 
was  again  ordered  on  sea-duty. 

After  a  few  days  spent  in  preparing  for  the 
voyage,  captain  B.  took  leave  of  his  family 
with  feelings  more  easily  conceived  than  de- 
scribed. "Dreadful  morning  this!'^  says  he, 
"I  cannot  describe  it.  Those  who  have  such 
an  affectionate  wife,  and  such  engaging  pledges 
of  the  purest  love,  may  guess  what  I  suffered 
when  obliged  to  leave  them.''  He  lost  no 
time  in  proceeding  to   Portsmouth;   and   in 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  169 

less  than  a  fortnight  from  the  date  of  the  or- 
der, he  entered  upon  duty  on  board  the  Eagle. 

While  the  vessel  lay  at  Spithead,  there  was 
some  probability  of  captain  B.  being  relieved 
by  another  officer;  and  he  was  encouraged  to 
write  both  to  the  general  and  to  the  Admi- 
ralty with  the  hope  of  accomplishing  this  ob- 
ject. But,  though  his  application  was  granted 
by  the  general,  he  failed  of  obtaining  his  wish; 
for  the  captain  who  was  ordered  to  replace 
him,  took  care  not  to  arrive  at  Portsmouth  in 
time. 

Captain  B.  viewed  this  disappointment  as 
the  direction  of  Him  who  governs  all  m.ortal 
things,  and  manages  even  the  minutest  affairs 
with  a  special  regard  to  the  good  of  those  who 
serve  him  and  trust  in  his  mercy.  "Now," 
says  he,  the  day  before  they  sailed,  "I  have 
given  up  every  hope  of  being  relieved  from 
this  India  voyage;  and  I  trust  the  Lord  will 
ere  long  make  me  to  see  it  was  good  for  me  I 
had  not  my  own  will."  A  few  extracts  will 
now  be  given  from  his  journal. 

March  7,  1779.    This  morning  the  whole 

East  India  fleet,  under  the  command  of  Sir 

Edward  Hughes,  got  under  sail  with  a  fair 

wind. — Now,  my  soul,  look  back,  and  see 

p 


170  LIFE  or 

how  the  Lord  has  defeated  all  my  efforts,  and 
every  hope  of  being  delivered  from  this  long 
voyage,  and  say  without  murmuring.  His 
sovereign  will  be  done!  Grant  that  with  all 
humility  and  patience  I  may  ever  submit  to 
what  thou  ordainest;  and  while  through  thy 
grace  I  shall  be  enabled  to  trace  thy  footsteps 
in  the  various  dispensations  of  thy  providence, 
may  I  every  day  have  fresh  cause  to  cry  out, 
Good  is  the  Lord,  just  and  righteous  are  all 
his  ways! 

24.  Since  I  have  been  in  this  ship,  many 
concurring  circumstances,  several  trials,  and 
the  prospect  of  a  long  voyage,  have  forced  me 
as  it  were,  to  let  go  my  eager  grasp  of  every 
worldly  enjoyment:  and  if  I  am  not  deceived, 
I  have  been  hereby  led  to  look  more  stead- 
fastly to  Heaven,  and  to  pray  earnestly  that 
my  heart  may  be  set  on  things  above,  which 
will  never  cloy,  and  of  which  I  can  never  be 
deprived,  if,  through  Christ,  I  can  once  lay  a 
solid  claim  to  them.  To-day  I  began  to  ex- 
hort the  party  of  marines  under  my  direction 
in  this  ship,  by  speaking  to  one  at  a  time  in 
my  cabin:  a  duty  that  has  lain  much  upon  my 
mind,  but  which  I  am  sure  I  shall  never  be 
able  rightly  to  perform  without  assistance  from 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  171 

above:  for  so  timid  is  my  natural  disposition, 
that  I  blush  and  tremble  when  called  to  speak 
before  a  fellow-mortal  of  that  Jesus  who  suf- 
fered so  much  for  me.  Gracious  God!  de- 
liver me  from  this  cowardice. 

May  1.  The  admiral  made  the  signal  to 
speak  with  our  captain.  When  he  returned, 
the  budget  was  opened.  Before  we  proceed 
to  India,  we  are  going  to  attack  Goree.  The 
Eagle  is  to  cover  the  bombs.  The  troops  are 
ordered  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  dis- 
embark, among  whom  are  sixty  marines  from 
this  ship:  and  every  other  necessary  prepara- 
tion is  making  for  a  vigorous  descent.  What 
the  issue  will  be,  God  only  knows.  I  desire 
to  look  only  to  him  for  help  and  protection, 
while  lawfully  engaged  in  that  to  which  his 
providence  hath  called  me.  1  am  persuaded 
no  evil  shall  befall  me  without  his  permission. 
I  desire  to  go  to  battle  in  his  name;  and  in 
his  name  I  hope  to  conquer.  ^ 

8.  At  two  in  the  afternoon,  we  anchored 
before  the  batteries  of  Goree,  and  to  our  great 
surprise  found  the  island  evacuated  by  the 
French,  who  left  it  in  the  possession  of  the 
black  inhabitants;  the  principal  of  whom  came 
off  to  the  admiral  to  acknowledge  their  sub' 


172  LIFE  OF 

jectlon  to  the  king  of  England. — Glory  to 
God,  that  matters  have  turned  out  so  very 
favourably  for  us!  Little  did  we  think  that 
this  would  be  the  case.  But  He  in  whom  I 
ever  desire  to  trust,  has  always  been  better  to 
me  than  all  my  fears :  and  from  this  renewed 
instance  of  his  goodness,  I  would  draw  a  fresh 
argument  for  gratitude  and  praise,  and  for  ba- 
nishing all  future  doubts  of  his  protecting  care. 

12.  Sailed  with  a  fair  wind  for  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope. 

June  2.  In  the  course  of  my  Christian  ex- 
perience, I  have  frequently  remarked,  that  af- 
ter having  made  sincere  resolutions  against 
such  and  such  evils  with  the  greatest  care;  I 
have,  notwithstanding,  the  same  day  been  in- 
sensibly drawn  aside  from  the  path  of  duty, 
led  on  by  degrees  into  the  snares  of  the  ene- 
my, and  at  last  involved  in  deeper  guilt  than 
before.  I  have  just  had  a  striking  example 
of  this,  which  I  wish  to  retain  as  a  profitable 
memento  for  my  future  conduct. — Yesterday 
morning  I  was  resolving,  through  divine  as- 
sistance, to  watch  against  all  unruly  passion, 
anger,  and  hasty  words,  when  in  conversation 
with  my  messmates;  and  to  learn  to  be  meek, 
lowly  and   forbearing   with   every   body.     I 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  173 

had  not  to  complain  of  any  glaring  violation 
of  this  resolution  through  the  day.  But  after 
I  went  to  bed,  the  captain,  having  spent  the 
evening  in  the  ward-room  with  two  or  three 
more,  became  intoxicated,  and  about  eleven 
o'clock  fell  into  a  dispute  with  the  lieutenant 
of  marines.  Their  noise  kept  me  awake.  I 
was  grieved  to  find  my  brother-officer,  a 
harmless  inoffensive  lad,  very  ill  used.  How- 
ever I  still  lay  quiet.  But  the  captain,  at  last, 
without  the  smallest  provocation,  gave  him 
several  blows;  I  could  bear  it  no  longer;  my 
blood  boiled,  I  rose  hastily,  and  was  in  a  vio- 
lent passion  indeed.  The  Lord  forgive  me! 
What  a  poor  frail  creature  I  am,  with  all  my 
resolutions!  I  sometimes  think  I  ought  never 
to  make  any:  and  yet,  as  a  means,  with  a 
firm  reliance  on  divine  grace  alone,  they  may 
prove  beneficial  in  promoting  watchfulness. 
Lord!  make  me  more  watchful  every  day, 
that  I  may  not  thus  fall  into  temptation. 

August  3.  By  the  blessing  of  God,  we  this 
evening  came  to  an  anchor  at  the  entrance  of 
Simon's  Bay;  overjoyed  at  having  escaped 
all  the  dangers  we  were  in  dread  of  while 
hovering  near  the  Cape. 

14.  To-day  the  Lord,  in  a  remarkable 
p  2 


174  LIFE  OF 

manner,  heard  my  prayer,  and  gave  me  a 
complete  victory  over  one  of  my  brother  offi- 
cers, who  has  long  been  my  enemy,  and  who, 
in  attempting  to  asperse  my  character,  ex- 
posed his  own  to  universal  censure;  and  was 
this  morning  obliged  to  make  a  public  apo- 
logy for  his  behaviour.  I  hope  the  Lord  gave 
me  grace  to  forgive  him  from  the  bottom  of 
my  heart,  and  to  receive  him  for  the  future 
with  every  mark  of  brotherly  affection.  0 
my  God !  make  me  truly  thankful  for  this  fa- 
vour. 

January  1.  1780.  Oif  the  north-west  end 
of  Sumatra.  About  the  beginning  of  last  year 
I  could  not  forbear  viewing  it  as  a  period 
which  I  should  not  pass  through  without  an 
unusual  share  of  trouble  and  distress.  Expe- 
rience has  shown  I  was  not  far  out  in  my 
conjectures.  But  it  is  past;  and  thanks  be  to 
that  kind  hand  which,  surmounting  every 
difficulty,  hath  safely  brought  me  thus  far! 
What  may  be  in  store  for  me  during  this 
year  I  am  now  entered  upon,  the  same  gra- 
cious Protector  only  knows.  Into  thy  hands, 
0  blessed  Jesus,  I  desire  this  day  solemnly  to 
resign  myself,  without  the  least  reserve  what- 
ever.    Keep  me  in  India;  bring  me   home; 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  175 

health  or  sickness;  life  or  death;  still  my 
heart  would  say,  Thy  will  be  done. 

March  24.  Finding  myself  with  every 
symptom  of  a  declining  state  of  health  in  this 
scorching  climate,  I  this  morning  wa^ote  to 
the  admiral  for  leave  to  go  home  in  any  of 
the  ships  of  war  bound  to  the  Cape;  and  at 
the  same  time,  acquainted  my  friend.  Captain 
Simonton,  with  my  reasons  for  so  doing. 

25.  Captain  Simonton  informs  me  that 
the  admiral  not  only  consents  to  my  going 
home,  but  intends  to  remove  me  as  captain  of 
marines  to  one  of  the  ships.  This  will  be 
of  great  advantage  to  me;  as  I  shall  not  only 
have  a  share  of  any  prizes  that  may  be  taken, 
but  be  entitled  to  good  accommodation,  and 
probably  be  able  to  complete  a  tour  of  sea- 
duty  as  full  captain:  advantages  none  of  which 
I  could  have  enjoyed,  had  I  been  sent  home 
sick  as  a  passenger  only.  The  Lord  has  been 
pleased  to  grant  more  than  I  asked.  0  that 
my  heart  would  dissolve  in  gratitude  for  so 
many  mercies  so  freely  conferred ! 

April  4.  This  morning  I  left  the  Eagle 
and  embarked  on  board  the  Rippon.  I  would 
now  humbly  approach  a  throne  of  grace,  and 
solicit  the  same  favours  which  were  gracious- 


176  LIFE  OF 

\y  granted  to  me  on  my  arrival  from  Ameri- 
ca. May  the  Lord  take  me  soon,  in  health, 
peace,  and  safety,  to  my  native  country! — 
may  I  find  my  wife  in  health,  earnestly  seek- 
ing after  God;  and  our  dear  little  ones  alive 
and  well,  to  prove  future  blessings! — may  I 
find  my  parents  still  alive;  to  give  me  their 
blessing  ere  they  go  home:  may  I  find  the 
gospel  of  Christ  flourishing  in  England,  and 
those  I  am  more  intimately  acquainted  and 
connected  with,  at  Chatham,  increased  in  num- 
ber, faith,  hope,  and  love!  Lord!  hear  these 
prayers,  and  the  glory  shall  be  thine. 

June  4.  When  I  was  first  informed  of  my 
appointment  to  the  Rippon,  she  was  far  from 
being  the  ship  I  liked  best.  My  attention 
was  fixed  on  the  Asia,  and  there  my  choice 
had  been  placed.  But  now  I  rejoice  to  find 
myself  in  the  Rippon,  as  being  by  far  the  most 
agreeable  ship  of  the  three.  The  epidemical 
distemper  in  the  Asia,  with  which  upwards  of 
a  hundred  of  her  people  are  now  infected,  is 
a  loud  call  for  thankfulness,  that  I  am  not  sent 
among  them.  Besides,  the  Rippon  sails  bet- 
ter, and  is  better  manned  and  officered.  It  is 
often  a  great  mercy,  when  God  will  not  per- 
mit us  to  have  our  own  choice! 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  177 

October  29.  Early  this  morning  we  made 
sail  towards  the  island  of  St.  Helena,  and 
came  to  an  anchor  before  twelve  o'clock.  A 
few  days  will  complete  our  watering,  and  then 
we  know  of  nothing  else  to  interrupt  our  pas- 
sage home. 

On  the  9th  of  January,  1781,  the  fleet  put 
into  Crookhaven  in  Ireland,  and  remained 
there  above  three  weeks.  On  the  ninth  of 
February  they  anchored  in  the  Downs.  There 
Captain  B.  received  intelligence  from  home, 
both  pleasing  and  painful.  His  wife  and  chil- 
dren were  in  good  health:  but  his  father  had 
died  early  in  the  preceding  year;  an  event 
which  Captain  B.  describes  as  an  everlasting 
advantage  to  him,  but  a  great  and  irreparable 
loss  to  his  surviving  friends. 

In  the  beginning  of  March,  having  solicited 
and  obtained  from  the  Admiralty,  leave  for  a 
month's  relaxation  from  official  duty.  Captain 
B.  had  the  happiness  of  once  more  rejoining 
his  beloved  family;  deeply  impressed  with  the 
divine  goodness  towards  himself  and  them, 
during  their  absence  from  each  other,  and 
especially  with  the  gracious  interposition  of 
Providence  in  his  behalf,  which  had  rendered 
a  state  of  extreme  debility,  induced  by  the 


178  LIFE  OF 

climate  of  India,  the  occasion  of  his  return  to 
them  several  years  sooner  than  could  other- 
wise have  been  expected. 

TO    HIS    APPOINTMENT    AS    LIEUTENANT 
COLONEL. 

The  joy  of  Captain  Burn's  reunion  with  his 
family  was  soon  succeeded  by  an  occasion  of 
sorrow.  "I  had  not  been  home,"  says  he, 
"above  a  fortnight,  before  the  Lord  was 
pleased  to  make  a  breach  in  the  family.  My 
youngest  child,  a  sweet  healthy  boy,  about 
two  years  and  a  quarter  old,  was  playing  with 
me  in  the  garden,  on  the  21st  of  March;  and 
the  next  day,  after  a  few  hours'  illness,  his 
soul  took  its  flight  to  heaven,  and  left  his  dis- 
consolate parents  to  mourn  their  loss." 

Shortly  after  Captain  B.'s  return  to  his  ship, 
she  was  condemned  as  unfit  for  service,  and 
ordered  to  Chatham:  which  gave  him  another 
opportunity  of  being  with  his  family  for  seve- 
ral weeks. 

About  the  end  of  July,  he  was  appointed 
to  the  command  of  a  party  of  ninety  men, 
including  officers,  on  board  the  Sampson; 
which  joined  admiral  Parker's  fleet,  a  few  days 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  179 

after  the  engagement  near  the  Dogger  Bank, 
and  was  then  left  with  several  other  vessels 
cruising  off  the  Texel  to  watch  the  motions 
of  the  Dutch.  The  unpleasantness  of  this  sta- 
tion was  not  compensated  by  any  captures, 
and  the  stormy  weather  which  occurred  to- 
wards the  end  of  October,  obliged  them  to 
return  to  the  Downs.  The  very  ill  state  of 
health  which  Captain  B.  had  experienced  for 
two  months,  and  the  prospect  that  the  ad- 
vance of  winter  at  sea  would  aggravate  his 
complaints,  induced  the  surgeon  to  advise  his 
going  ashore  to  sick  quarters.  His  applica- 
tion for  this  purpose  was  instantly  granted, 
and  he  returned  home,  regarding  this  leave  of 
absence  as  a  signal  interposition  of  Providence 
in  his  favour,  especially  as  the  Sampson  was 
immediately  ordered  to  Elsineur,  with  some 
other  men-of-war,  to  fetch  a  convoy  from 
thence.  After  her  return,  he  says,  I  was 
congratulated  by  all  my  messmates  on  having 
so  happily  escaped  the  cruise  to  the  Baltic. 
They  all  agree  that  the  excessive  cold  they 
experienced  there  would  have  entirely  knock- 
ed me  up.  Oh  how  good  the  Lord  has  been 
to  me  I  When  shall  I  learn  to  be  sufficiently 
thankful!     Lord,  increase  my  faith! 


180  LIFE  OF 

About  this  time  he  was  made  a  full  cap- 
tain, and  remained  by  his  own  fire-side  du- 
ring the  months  of  November  and  December, 
1781,  and  January  and  February,  1782.  We 
will  give  one  extract  from  his  journal,  dated, 

January  13,  1782.  Sunday,  I  was  this  day 
unexpectedly  admitted  a  guest  to  the  Lord's 
table,  and  received  the  blessing  of  a  soft  heart. 
I  wept  and  mourned  before  Him:  and  though 
I  soon  lost  this  pleasure,  for  a  pleasure  it  is; 
yet  still  the  remembrance  of  it  is  sweet. 

His  health  being  in  a  great  measure  re- 
established. Captain  B.  returned  to  the  Samp- 
son, which  then  lay  at  Sheerness,  but  soon 
after  went  round  to  Spithead,  awaiting  further 
orders;  and  apprehensions  were  entertained 
that  she  was  destined  for  the  West  Indies. 
Though  his  constitution  was  ill  able  to  bear  a 
West  Indian  summer,  he  endeavoured  to  re- 
concile himself  to  his  lot,  whatever  it  might 
be,  in  a  reliance  on  that  mercy  w^hich  had 
never  yet  forsaken  him,  but  in  many  a  time 
of  extremity  had  opportunely  interposed  for 
his  relief.  In  the  beginning  of  April  the 
Sampson  was  appointed  one  of  the  channel 
fleet,  and  was  just  about  to  sail,  when  a  cap- 
tain of  marines,  who  was  to  go  ashore  in  con- 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  181 

sequence  of  the  party  he  commanded  being 
drafted  into  other  ships,  came  on  board  the 
Sampson  and  proposed  an  exchange  of  duties 
with  Captain  B.  Welcome  as  this  unexpect- 
ed oflfer  was,  on  some  accounts,  Captain  B. 
at  first  hesitated  to  accept  it;  because  several 
days  were  wanting  to  complete  his  tour  of 
sea-duty,  and  in  case  he  should  be  ordered  to 
sea  again  immediately,  the  exchange  might 
eventually  be  to  his  disadvantage.  This  diffi- 
culty, however,  was  removed  by  the  kindness 
of  the  captain  of  tlie  Sampson,  who  permitted 
Captain  B.  still  to  remain  on  the  books  of  the 
ship,  and  discharged  him  from  it  two  days  af- 
ter the  completion  of  his  tour  of  duty.  The 
only  service  assigned  him  during  the  remain- 
der of  this  year  was  the  charge  of  a  recruiting 
party  for  a  few  weeks  at  Romford. 

The  opening  of  the  next  year  was  distin- 
guished by  the  restoration  of  peace.  Every 
humane  and  Christian  heart  will  sympathize 
with  the  feelings  of  Captain  B.  on  this  occa- 
sion.    He  writes — 

January  24,  1783.  To-day  the  news  ar- 
rived that  the  preliminary  articles  of  peace 
were  signed  on  the  20th  instant  at  Paris. 
Rejoice,  0  my  soul,  at  this  long  looked  for 


182  LIFE  OF 

blessing!  Stand  amazed  at  the  goodness  of 
God  to  thee:  he  has  now  brought  thee  safe 
through  two  bloody  wars  without  loss  of  life, 
limb,  or  liberty;  while  thousands  younger  and 
more  deserving  have  been  hurried  into  the 
eternal  world  by  the  fatal  bullet,  or  pestilen- 
tial climate.  How  many  of  my  messmates, 
companions,  and  friends,  can  I  call  to  mind, 
who  at  the  beginning  of  this  eight  years'  war 
were  much  more  likely  than  myself  to  see  it 
out,  but  who  are  now  no  more!  0  my  soul! 
praise  the  Lord  for  his  mercy!" 

The  exchange  of  the  ratifications  of  peace 
was  soon  followed  by  a  reduction  in  the  ma- 
rine corps,  and  Captain  B.  went  upon  half- 
pay.     He  observes — 

August  4,  1783.  Yesterday  the  order  for 
the  reduction  of  the  corps  arrived  at  quarters, 
and  was  immediately  notified  in  the  divisional 
orders.  I  went  this  morning  to  the  parade 
and  bade  adieu  to  military  service,  with  a 
heart,  I  hope,  in  some  measure,  thankful  to 
that  all  gracious  Being  who  has  brought  me 
safe  to  the  conclusion  of  two  wars,  after  five 
and  twenty  years'  travel  through  dangers  of 
every  description:  for  I  may  say  with  the 
apostle  on  another  occasion,  I  have  been  *  in 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  183 

deaths  oft,  in  weariness  and  painfulness,  in 
watchings,  in  hunger  and  thirst,  in  cold  and 
heat;'  and  through  them  all,  the  Lord  has 
safely  led  me  to  the  present  joyful  hour.  0 
that  my  future  life  may  be  wholly  devoted  to 
his  service!  If  I  know  any  thing  at  all  of 
my  heart,  it  is  sincere  and  fervent  in  this  re- 
quest. 

After  Captain  B.'s  retirement  on  half-pay, 
a  considerable  time  elapsed  without  any  oc- 
currences which  it  would  now  be  interesting 
to  record.  His  journals  continue  to  exhibit 
the  experience  of  a  real  Christian. 

Captain  B.  was  now  about  to  be  visited 
with  a  severer  affliction  than  he  had  ever  be- 
fore experienced.  The  following  passage  de- 
scribes his  feelings  under  the  painful  appre- 
hension. 

January  6,  1785.  This  year  begun  with  a 
melancholy  aspect.  The  Lord  only  knows 
how^  it  will  end!  My  dear  wife,  who  has 
long  laboured  under  a  complication  of  disor- 
ders, seems  to  grow  worse  and  worse;  so  that 
I  now  live  in  an  agonizing  state,  between 
hope  and  fear.  The  Lord  help  us  both,  and 
prepare  her  for  his  will,  and  help  me  to  ac- 
quiesce in  it! 


184  LIFE  OF 

At  another  time  during  this  season  of  dis- 
tress, he  says:  "In  the  midst  of  severe  and 
overwhelming  trials,  I  find  a  sweet  compo- 
sure of  soul  in  leaving  all  to  the  sovereignty 
of  God.  He  can  do  nothing  wrong;  and  that 
is  my  consolation.  Then  why  should  I  re- 
pine, though  he  afflicts  me  in  the  tenderest 
part,  the  wife  of  my  bosom?  Even  this  shall 
work  for  his  glory;  and,  I  trust,  for  the  bene- 
fit of  both  her  and  me.  This  trial  bears  heavy 
upon  me.  0  for  more  patience,  and  all  shall 
be  well!" 

Three  days  after  Mrs.  B.'s  death  he  writes: 
"  Of  all  the  trials  I  ever  had  to  sustain,  none 
is  to  be  compared  to  what  I  have  gone  through 
for  these  three  or  four  days  past.  My  wife, 
in  whom  all  my  earthly  happiness  centered, 
suddenly  taken  from  me!  Oh  how  hard,  to 
say  with  the  heart,  the  will  of  the  Lord  be 
done!  I  am  like  one  in  despair;  all  nature 
seems  clothed  in  sackcloth.  Lord,  help  me 
in  this  hour  of  darkness!'^ 

It  is  one  of  those  things  w^hich  indicate 
the  control  of  infinite  wisdom  and  goodness 
over  human  affairs,  that  violent  emotions  are 
seldom  of  long  continuance.  In  general 
the   floods  of  grief  which   rise  to   the   most 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  185 

alarming  height,  soon  subside  within  mode- 
rate limits,  and  time  gradually  dries  up  their 
sources.  In  the  sorrow  of  Christian  hearts 
for  the  death  of  pious  relatives,  this  process  is 
accelerated  by  reflections  on  the  happiness  of 
the  deceased,  and  anticipations  of  reunion  in  a 
better  world. 

A  little  while  after.  Captain  B.  writes: 
"  God  be  praised !  the  melancholy,  despair- 
ing frame  of  mind  which  my  late  loss  had 
thrown  me  into,  seems  to  be  wearing  off. 
And  happy  for  me  that  it  is  so;  for,  had  it 
lasted  in  its  first  force  much  longer,  1  must 
have  sunk  under  it.  I  still  find  God  the 
hearer  and  answerer  of  prayer,  and  this  en- 
courages me  to  persevere.  Like  a  kind  pa- 
rent, he  has  always  been  near  to  succour  me 
in  my  greatest  conflicts.  What  a  blessing  to 
have  such  a  God!  I  should  be  the  most  mi- 
serable of  all  wretches,  if  I  had  no  access  to 
the  throne  of  grace.  But  my  troubles  and 
distresses,  however  great,  keen,  and  heavj'' 
they  may  be,  when  brought  there,  lose  all 
their  force  and  bitterness." 

By   reason   of  a  variety  of   circumstances 
which  need  not  be  detailed.  Captain  B.  dis- 
continued his  journal  for  more  than  five  years; 
q2 


186  LIFE  OF 

but  his  pen  was  never  more  actively  or  use- 
fully employed.  Desirous,  after  his  own  con- 
version, to  strengthen  his  brethren,  he  dili- 
gently read  several  eminent  writers  on  the 
evidences  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  ab- 
stracted their  most  striking  and  popular  argu- 
ments, to  which  he  gave  the  form  of  dialogues 
between  two  military  ojfficers. 

Few  persons,  if  any,  were  ever  better  quali- 
fied for  so  useful  an  undertaking.  Experience 
and  observation  had  rendered  the  subject  fa- 
miliar and  important  to  him;  and  the  ease, 
vivacity,  and  good  humour,  with  which  he 
habitually  wrote,  were  adapted  to  render  such 
a  work,  in  his  hands,  equally  interesting  and 
agreeable.  When,  however,  he  had  brought 
it  nearly  to  a  close,  he  laid  it  by  for  some 
years,  from  uncertainty  how  best  to  finish  it. 
Becoming  acquainted  at  this  juncture  with 
two  young  military  men,  one  of  whom  had 
been  brought  to  religious  concern  by  means 
of  conversation  with  the  other,  he  introduced 
their  history  as  a  closing  dialogue,  and  pub- 
lished the  whole  in  17S9,  under  the  appro- 
priate title  of  "  The  Christian  Officer's  Pano- 
ply: containing  Arguments  in  favour  of  Di- 
vine Revelation;  by  a  Marine  Officer."     To 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  187 

a  second  edition,  published  in  1806,  he  affixed 
his  name;  substituting  the  words  "Complete 
Armour'^  for  "Panoply,"  as  more  intelligi- 
ble. 

That  the  immediate  reception  of  Captain 
B.'s  principal  work  was  encouraging,  might 
be  inferred  from  his  publication,  during  the 
same  year,  of  a  pamphlet  somewhat  similar 
both  in  its  form  and  purport.  This  was  enti- 
tled "Who  Fares  Best;  the  Christian  or  the 
Man  of  the  World?  or,  The  Advantages  of  a 
Life  of  real  Piety  above  a  Life  of  fashionable 
Dissipation.  By  a  Marine  Officer.'^  The  at- 
tractions of  this  lively  dialogue  being  equal  to 
those  of  Captain  B.'s  larger  volume,  and  the 
perusal  easier,  it  outstripped  the  former  in 
popularity,  and  probably  in  extensive  useful- 
ness. It  succeeded  in  the  immediate  purpose 
which  induced  the  author  so  soon  to  return  to 
the  press,  which  was  to  raise  for  a  religious 
object  some  charitable  assistance,  which  he 
could  not  otherwise  have  afforded  to  impart. 
In  1792,  it  was  reprinted,  and  again  in  1810. 

It  was  not  till  1791  that  the  author's  diary 
was  resumed.  It  commences,  however,  with 
a  retrospect,  which,  though  very  brief,  and 
wholly  silent   on  his  literary  employments. 


188  LIFE  OF 

serves,  in  other  respects,  to  connect  the  chain 
of  his  history. 

"March  25,  1791.  Since  1786,  I  have  the 
greatest  reason  to  bless  God  for  giving  me  a 
partner  for  life,  who  has  proved  a  source  of 
real  comfort  and  happiness  to  me  under  all 
the  troubles  of  this  uncertain  state.  He  has 
also  blessed  us  with  four  fine  children,  one  of 
whom  he  has  taken  to  himself;  and  though 
we  are  sometimes  straitly  put  to  it,  yet  we 
have  never  been  without  the  necessaries  and 
comforts  of  life.  On  the  1st  of  September, 
1788,  I  was  called  in  upon  full  pay  to  this 
division,  where  I  continued  ever  since,  daily 
experiencing  fresh  instances  of  God's  kind- 
ness towards  me. 

"  When  a  dispute  with  Spain  was  likely  to 
take  place,  last  year,  I  was  ordered  on  the  re- 
cruiting service;  but  so  near  quarters,  Croy- 
don in  Surrey,  that  I  easily  managed  that 
business  without  moving  from  home.  But 
several  captains,  who  were  for  sea-duty  be- 
fore me,  having  then  embarked,  brought  me 
to  be  one  of  the  first  to  go  in  this  fresh  ar- 
mament against  Russia.  Accordingly,  I  this 
morning  embarked  on  board  his  majesty's  ship 
Arrogant,  Captain  Harvey,  who  commanded 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  189 

the  Sampson  last  war  when  I  left  her  in  the 
year  1782." 

In  this  duty  Captain  B.  spent  nearly  six 
months,  but  without  going  to  sea,  except  from 
Chatham  or  Sheerness  to  Portsmouth,  and 
back  to  Chatham;  where  he  disembarked 
with  his  party,  and  went  into  barracks  on  the 
ship  being  paid  off. 

In  May,  1792,  Captain  B.  received  a  com- 
munication from  the  directors  of  the  Sierra 
Leone  Company,  who  offered  to  appoint  him 
second  in  command  at  their  new  settlement 
on  the  coast  of  Africa.  But  the  interests  of 
his  family  forbade  a  relinquishment  of  the  pre- 
sent advantages  and  future  prospects  of  the 
marine  service  for  any  emolument  which  the 
directors  could  with  propriety  grant.  He  also 
dreaded  the  effects  of  that  climate  on  his  con- 
stitution, but  he  declined,  with  great  reluc- 
tance, a  charge  so  congenial  with  his  desire  to 
promote  religion  and  humanity.  He  publish- 
ed the  same  year,  some  tracts  in  favour  of  the 
abolition  of  the  slave  trade,  which  has  since 
been  happily  accomplished. 

About  the  same  time  he  was  appointed  to 
the  Assistance,  in  which  he  made  a  voyage  to 
Newfoundland.     Just  after  his  arrival  at  St. 


190  LIFE  OF 

John's  harbour,  he  completed  the  fiftieth  year 
of  his  age.     He  writes — 

September  8,  1792.  I  have  now  lived  half 
a  century;  but  how  very  little  of  that  time 
has  been  truly  devoted  to  God's  glory!  I  am 
constrained  to  acknowledge  that  I  am  a  most 
unprofitable  servant  indeed !  Were  it  not  for 
the  atoning  blood  and  perfect  righteousness  of 
Christ,  I  should  despair  of  ever  reaching  hea- 
ven. But  this  is  a  strong  tower,  into  which  I 
trust  I  have  been  enabled  to  flee,  and  where  I 
find  myself  perfectly  secure:  and  the  more  I 
see  and  feel  this  security,  the  more  I  am  ena- 
bled to  live  to  the  praise  of  God. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  year,  the  Assistance 
returned  from  Newfoundland,  and  in  the  fol- 
lowing spring  went  to  Corunna  and  Gibraltar. 
On  both  these  voyages,  and  especially  the  last, 
Captain  B.  found  a  sea-faring  life  increasingly 
unfavourable  to  his  health.  He  was  afflicted 
with  lowness  of  spirits,  uneasy  sleep,  frightful 
dreams,  nocturnal  perspirations,  constant  pain 
in  his  right  side,  and  other  distressing  symp- 
toms. Severe  indisposition  induced  him,  im- 
mediately on  his  return  from  Gibraltar,  to  ap- 
ply to  the  Admiralty  for  leave  of  absence  for 
two  months;  which  he  had  no  sooner  obtained 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  191 

than  an  order  was  given  for  the  removal  of  all 
the  marines  from  the  Assistance  to  the  Mon- 
tague, then  on  the  point  of  sailing  for  the 
West  Indies.  This  combination  of  events 
Captain  B.  considered  as  a  remarkable  inter- 
position of  Providence  in  his  favour;  at  once 
terminating  his  career  of  duty  on  board  the 
Assistance,  and  saving  him  from  the  disagree- 
ables and  dangers  of  a  West  Indian  voyage, 
from  which,  under  existing  circumstances,  it 
was  not  probable  he  could  live  to  return. 

In  consequence  of  the  precarious  and  lan- 
guishing state  of  his  health,  his  term  of  relax- 
ation from  duty  was  extended  to  four  months, 
at  the  end  of  which  he  was  again  employed  in 
the  recruiting  service.  He  was  first  stationed 
at  Colchester;  but  having  spent  a  month  there 
with  scarcely  any  success,  he  was  ordered  to 
remove  his  station  to  Rochford. 

This  removal  was  highly  gratifying,  as  the 
situation  of  Rochford  admitted  of  his  passing 
most  of  his  time  at  home,  without  neglecting 
the  business  confided  to  him;  in  which  he  had 
the  satisfaction  of  being  very  successful,  "send- 
ing in  more  men  to  serve  their  country  as 
marines,  than  any  two  officers  in  the  corps  on 
the  same  service." 


192  LIFE  OF 

Captain  B.  had  for  some  years  felt  "a  strong 
desire  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  days  in 
the  country,  secluded  from  the  bustle  of  the 
world."  A  principal  reason  for  this  wish  was 
the  hope  of  diminishing  the  expenses  of  his 
growing  family,  which  he  found  great  diffi- 
culty in  supporting.  About  Michaelmas,  1 794, 
he  entered  upon  a  small  estate,  situated  two 
miles  from  Strood,  consisting  of  a  cottage  and 
thirteen  acres  of  meadow-land,  of  which  he 
had  taken  a  lease  for  fourteen  years,  at  one 
hundred  dollars  a-year. 

This  measure,  however,  was  far  from  ac- 
complishing the  expected  improvement  in  his 
circumstances.  The  repairs  required  to  ren- 
der the  house  fit  for  the  reception  of  his  fami- 
ly, involved  him  in  considerable  expense,  and 
he  was  too  little  acquainted  with  rural  affairs 
and  the  arts  of  the  world,  to  manage  his  little 
farm  with  any  advantage.  The  distress  of  his 
mind  under  the  increase  of  pecuniary  difficul- 
ties, can  only  be  conceived  by  those,  who, 
with  equal  delicacy  of  feeling  and  integrity  of 
principle,  have  laboured  under  similar  embar- 
rassments. 

There  appeared  no  prospect  of  deliverance 
from  these  difficulties,  unless  the  means  should 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.     193 

be  afforded  by  the  liberality  of  some  opulent 
friend.  No  one  occurred  to  his  mind  so  likely 
to  assist  as  the  earl  of  B — y,  with  whom  he 
had  formerly  been  intimate  in  France,  but 
whom  he  had  not  seen  for  the  last  twenty 
years:  and  the  long  suspension  of  their  inter- 
course left  but  little  hopes  of  success.  To  this 
nobleman,  however,  with  an  aching  heart  and 
trembling  hand,  he  ventured  to  write,  stating 
his  necessities  and  soliciting  aid.  The  fifth 
day  brought  a  letter  from  the  earl,  containing 
an  order  on  his  lordship's  banker  for  five  hun- 
dred dollars.  The  satisfaction  produced  by 
this  donation  bore  a  proportion  to  the  anxiety 
which  had  preceded  it.  With  the  liveliest 
gratitude  for  the  generosity  of  his  noble  friend, 
Captain  B.  did  not  forget  his  obligations  to  his 
Supreme  Benefactor,  but  received  this  season- 
able supply  as  the  answer  of  his  heavenly  Fa- 
ther to  the  many  prayers  for  relief  which  had 
ascended  from  his  troubled  heart.  About  a 
week  after,  he  says:  "The  great  deliverance 
the  Lord  has  just  wrought  for  me  by  means  of 
lord  B — 's  generous  present,  has  enabled  me 
to  close  this  year  with  joy.  I  have  now  nearly 
paid  it  all  away,  that  I  might  enjoy  the  satis- 
faction of  saying,  at  the  close  of  the  year  1794, 

R 


194  LIFE  OF 

that  I  am  out  of  debt.  Methinks  I  shall  never 
forget  it,  or  doubt  of  the  Lord's  goodness  any 
more:  it  was  so  seasonable,  just  adequate  to 
my  wants,  that  the  more  I  think  of  it,  the 
more  I  see  the  love  of  God,  and  consequently 
enjoy  a  continual  feast  in  praising  him." 

In  the  autumn  of  1795,  Captain  B.  was  call- 
ed in  from  the  recruiting  service,  in  which  he 
had  spent  about  two  years;  and  was  ordered 
to  hold  himself  in  readiness  for  sea-duty.  Af- 
ter waiting  some  time,  he  was  appointed  to  the 
Goliath,  and  embarked  at  Portsmouth  on  the 
24th  of  March,  1796. 

At  Portsmouth,  Captain  B.  had  the  pleasure 
of  an  interview  with  Captain  James  Wilson, 
and  of  hearing  from  himself  an  account  of  the 
religious  benefit  which  he  had  obtained  by 
means  of  "The  Christian  Officer's  Panoply," 
which  had  directed  his  attention  to  the  con- 
cerns of  his  soul.  Captain  B.'s  gratitude  to 
God  for  this  event  was  combined  with  humi- 
lity, which  led  him  to  regard  it  as  an  example 
of  the  declaration  of  the  scripture,  that  "  God 
hath  chosen  the  weak  things  of  the  world  to 
confound  the  mighty." 

The  Goliath  sailed  with  a  convoy,  first  to 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  195 

Gibraltar,  then  to  Corsica,  and  thence  to  Leg- 
horn. 

From  Leghorn  they  proceeded  to  join  the 
fleet,  under  the  command  of  Sir  John  Jervis, 
then  blockading  the  port  of  Toulon.  Though 
far  from  the  sanctuary  of  God,  and  in  a  place 
where  the  sabbath  received  not  even  the  ex- 
ternal homage  of  a  few  hours'  intermission  of 
accustomed  iniquities,  Captain  B.  knew  what 
it  was  to  enjoy  a  sabbath  of  the  mind. 

The  approach  of  winter  rendered  it  neces- 
sary for  the  fleet  to  leave  Toulon.  They  sailed 
to  Corsica,  then  to  Gibraltar,  then  to  Lisbon, 
and  thence  proceeded  on  a  cruise  in  hopes  of 
falling  in  with  the  Spaniards.  At  length,  on 
the  14th  of  February,  1797,  the  two  fleets  met 
ofi*  Cape  St.  Vincent,  and  a  victory  over  the 
Spaniards  added  fresh  laurels  to  the  navy  of 
Britain.  It  would  be  foreign  to  our  purpose 
to  enter  into  the  details  or  results  of  this  en- 
gagement, any  further  than  Captain  B.  was 
particularly  concerned.  He  expressed  the 
gratitude  of  his  heart  to  the  Lord  of  hosts;  as 
a  patriot  and  a  soldier,  for  the  triumph  gained 
over  the  enemies  of  his  country;  and  as  a 
man,  for  his  own  preservation  amidst  all  the 
dangers  of  the  fight. 


196  LIFE  OF 

"  God  be  praised !  the  battle  is  fought,  the 
victory  gained,  and  my  worthless  life  pre- 
served. The  Goliath  had  two  three  deckers 
upon  her  at  one  time,  and  sufiered  much  in 
masts,  sails,  and  rigging;  but,  thank  God! 
had  only  eight  men  wounded.  What  shall  I 
render  to  the  God  of  all  my  mercies  for  hear- 
ing my  prayer,  giving  me  courage,  and  pro- 
tecting me  in  the 'day  of  battle!" 

For  his  active  exertions  in  the  momentous 
business  of  this  day  he  was  soon  afterwards 
promoted.  There  are  extant  some  patriotic 
poetical  efifusions  he  composed  on  occasion  of 
this  victory. 

After  the  engagement  the  British  fleet  went 
into  Lagos  bay  to  refit;  and  as  soon  as  they 
were  in  a  condition  to  put  to  sea,  proceeded 
with  their  prizes  to  Lisbon.  Here  Captain 
Dunsmuire  of  the  marines  was  about  to  return 
home;  but  preferred  remaining  in  the  fleet  if 
he  could  prevail  on  some  other  captain  to  re- 
linquish his  command,  and  could  obtain  the 
Admiral's  consent  to  the  exchange.  He  ac- 
cordingly made  the  proposal  to  Captain  B. 
whose  ill  state  of  health  was  well  known,  and 
to  whom  an  exchange  might  therefore  be  sup- 
posed to  be  acceptable.     Captain  B.  objected 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.     197 

that  he  wanted  several  months  to  complete 
his  tour  of  sea-duty,  and,  if  he  should  go 
home  as  a  passenger,  would  be  liable  to  be 
sent  to  sea  again  before  the  expiration  of  the 
year.  To  remove  this  difficulty.  Captain  D. 
proposed  an  application  to  the  Admiral,  to  en- 
deavour to  get  Captain  B.  into  one  of  the 
Spanish  prizes;  by  which  he  would  accom- 
plish his  wish  to  complete  his  tour  of  duty, 
and  would  be  likely  to  arrive  at  home  in  the 
course  of  the  summer.  The  Admiral  con- 
sented to  the  plan,  discharged  Captain  B.  from 
the  Goliath,  and  appointed  him  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  marines  on  board  the  San  Josef. 

After  this  removal  Captain  B.  remained  at 
Lisbon  nearly  six  months,  during  which  his 
health  was  much  improved  by  "  frequent  ex- 
cursions into  the  delightful  country  along  the 
banks  of  the  Tagus."  The  day  that  com- 
pleted Captain  B.'s  fifty-fifth  year  he  left 
Lisbon. 

In  the  passage  home  they  encountered  some 
of  those  dangers  from  which  a  seafaring  life  is 
seldom  exempted;  but  through  the  goodness 
of  a  merciful  Providence,  they  escaped  them 
all,  and  at  the  end  of  four  weeks  were  safely 
anchored  at  Plymouth.  As  soon  as  the  San 
R  2 


198  LIFE  OF 

Josef  was  paid  off,  Captain  B.  proceeded  to 
London,  and  on  the  17th  of  November  had 
the  happiness  of  returning  to  his  beloved  and 
affectionate  family. 

Having  been  senior  marine  captain  in  the 
action  with  the  Spaniards  off  Cape  St.  Vin- 
cent, soon  after  his  return,  he  was,  as  already 
alluded  to,  appointed  to  the  rank  of  lieutenant 
colonel  in  the  army,  and  was  called  upon  to 
command  the  detachment  of  marines  that  at- 
tended his  majesty  in  the  procession  to  St. 
Paul's,  on  the  day  of  public  thanksgiving  for 
that  and  other  victories.  These  honours 
brought  no  pecuniary  advantage,  but  were 
attended  with  an  expense,  which,  though  not 
large,  was  more  than  his  finances  were  in  a 
situation  to  bear. 


TO    HIS   RETIREMENT    FROM    MILITARY    DUTY. 

The  present  state  has  no  pleasures  unac- 
companied with  pain.  The  satisfaction  of 
being  at  home  was  greatly  diminished  when 
Col.  B.  came  to  inquire  into  the  progress  of 
his  affairs  during  his  absence.  The  expenses 
occasioned  by  a  long  illness  which  had  afflict- 
ed Mrs.  B.  and  the  losses  which  the  person 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  199 

who  had  the  care  of  his  little  farm  had  met 
with  ill  farming  and  trading,  had  brought 
upon  him  a  heavy  load  of  debt,  which  threw 
a  gloom  over  the  close  of  the  year  1797. 

From  this  period  Colonel  B.  no  longer 
continued  his  journal  with  his  former  regular- 
ity. Being  for  the  most  part  stationary,  he 
had  fewer  incidents  to  record;  and  he  com- 
mitted his  reflections  to  writing  so  seldom, 
that  between  the  dates  of  two  successive  pa- 
ragraphs, we  frequently  find  an  interval  of  se- 
veral months.  Our  materials  for  the  remain- 
der of  his  history,  therefore,  lie  within  a  small 
compass. 

In  April,  1798,  a  major  in  the  Plymouth 
division  of  marines  being  reduced  to  half-pay, 
colonel  B.  was  fixed  upon  as  successor.  Wel- 
come as  this  promotion  was,  to  incur  the  ex- 
pense of  removing  his  large  family,  and  to  be 
placed  at  such  a  distance  from  all  his  old 
friends  and  connexions,  could  not  but  be  con- 
templated as  forming  a  considerable  deduction 
from  the  pleasure  and  advantage.  To  remain 
in  the  Chatham  division  was  the  object  of  his 
desires  and  prayers,  though  at  that  time  he 
could  see  no  prospect  of  its  attainment.  With- 
in ten  days,  however,  a  vacancy  happened  in 


200  LIFE  OF 

the  Chatham  division,  and  he  was  appointed 
to  fill  it.  Thus  his  wishes  were  accomplished 
beyond  his  utmost  expectations.  His  promo- 
tion added  one  hundred  pounds  a  year  to  his 
income,  and  exempted  him  from  all  sea-duty 
in  future. 

In  the  ensuing  autumn,  colonel  B.  disposed 
of  the  lease  of  his  cottage  and  farm,  and  re- 
moved his  residence  to  Strood.  In  this  place 
Colonel  B.  used  his  influence  in  promoting 
true  religion  amongst  his  neighbours  and 
townsmen,  and  his  exertions  were  accompa- 
nied with  considerable  success.  Long  will 
his  memory  be  cherished  with  reverence  and 
affection  amongst  a  little  band  of  Christians, 
with  whom  he  often  associated  for  the  pur- 
poses of  reading  the  Scriptures,  prayer,  and 
conversation  on  religious  topics;  and  many 
will  have  reason  to  bless  God  through  eter- 
nity for  his  excellent  advice,  and  the  holy  ex- 
ample he  set  before  them.  In  his  private 
concerns  nothing  remarkable  occurred  for  a 
considerable  time  after  this.  The  following 
extracts  exhibit  the  state  of  his  mind  and  his 
experience  as  a  Christian  on  several  occasions 
in  the  next  and  some  following  years. 

January  1,  1799.     After  being  tossed  about 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  201 

the  globe,  from  one  side  of  it  to  the  other,  for 
these  last  forty  years,  I  am  now  brought,  by 
the  kind  hand  of  my  heavenl}^  Father,  to  a 
quiet  and  peaceable  retreat  in  my  old  age; 
delivered,  I  trust,  through  his  great  goodness, 
from  all  future  wanderings  on  this  earth. 
But  surely  my  deceitful  heart  can  never  be  so 
foolish  as  to  entertain  the  thought  for  a  mo- 
ment that  this  is  to  be  my  rest.  Blessed  be 
the  name  of  my  God,  and  all  thanks  to  his 
rich  grace!  I  have  not  so  learned  Christ,  and 
the  precious  truths  contained  in  his  word. 
In  this  world  I  never  expect  permanent  rest; 
it  is  the  abode  of  sin  and  misery:  and  there- 
fore I  desire,  in  the  Lord's  strength,  still  to 
wait  patiently  for  the  accomplishment  of  this 
divine  truth,  "  In  the  world  ye  shall  have 
tribulation."  But  I  hope  and  earnestly  pray, 
that  the  Lord  will  be  pleased  to  fulfil  to  me 
his  most  gracious  promise,  and  bless  my  soul 
with  his  own  all-cheering  peace:  then  I  shall 
be  properly  prepared  for  the  worst  that  may 
come. — Let  the  will  of  the  Lord  be  done!  If 
his  grace  be  bestowed,  it  will  be  sufficient  for 
me,  and  I  shall  have  nothing  to  fear. 

September  8,  1800.     This  day  I  am  fifty- 
eight  years  old,  a  poor,  trembling,  highly- 


202 


LIFE  OF 


favoured  sinner  still,  who  can  just  say,  with  a 
stammering  voice,  "Lord,  I  believe;  help 
thou  my  unbelief."  The  near  approach  of 
that  awful  and  important  period,  when  I  must 
bid  adieu  to  time,  and  launch  into  an  eternal 
world,  makes  me  sometimes  startle  with  inex- 
pressible dismay;  or  rather,  an  anxious  con- 
cern, accompanied  with  painful  fear  lest  after 
all  I  should  prove  a  cast-away,  shakes  my 
whole  frame.  Not  that  I  have  the  shadow  of 
a  doubt  respecting  the  glorious  truths  of  the 
gospel,  nor  altogether  that  I  doubt  of  my  in- 
terest in  a  Saviour's  love;  but  the  inconceiv- 
able importance  of  an  eternal  state  strikes  my 
mind  so  forcibly,  that  the  bare  shadow  of  a 
possibility  of  my  not  being  happy  in  it,  makes 
me  dread  to  launch  into  it.  Lord,  increase 
my  faith! 

The  following  letter,  written  at  this  period, 
will  beautifully  display  Colonel  B.'s  desire  to 
promote  the  spiritual  welfare  of  his  children; 
it  is  addressed  to  his  eldest  daughter,  and  was 
accompanied  with  a  Bible. 

Strood,  Dec.  12,  1801. 

My  dear  R. — In  sending  you  so  valuable  a 

gift   as   a   Bible,   you  will   naturally  expect 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  203 

my  parental  advice  to  accompany  it.  If  the 
prayers  of  an  affectionate  father  can  prevail, 
you  will  find  it  one  of  the  richest  presents 
you  ever  received.  Above  forty  years  ago 
my  grandfather  gave  me  a  Bible,  which  I  still 
preserve,  out  of  which,  through  rich  grace,  I 
have  enjoyed  more  exalted  and  refined  plea- 
sure than  all  the  pomp  and  grandeur  of  a  vain 
world  could  ever  boast  of:  I  have  found  pre- 
sent and  effectual  relief  in  the  hour  of  deepest 
distress,  and  consolations  of  a  heavenly  nature 
far  beyond  the  power  of  human  language  to 

express.     I  only  wish  my  dear  R may 

enjoy  as  much  real  benefit  from  the  one  I  now 
send  her.  Read  it  with  reverence  and  atten- 
tion, as  the  word  and  will  of  the  most  high 
God; — pray  over  it,  and  wrestle  hard  till  you 
obtain  a  blessing  from  it: — it  is  a  mine  full  of 
the  richest  jewels,  and  God's  people  some- 
times dig  deep  before  they  get  at  them,  but 
never  pray  in  vain. 

It  gave  your  mother  and  me  great  pleasure 
to  see  some  dawnings  of  a  serious  concern 
upon  your  mind  before  you  left  Strood ;  but 
still  greater  when  we  heard  that  concern  was 
increased  at  Plymouth,  and  likely  to  issue  in  a 
true  conversion  and  thorough  devotedness  to 


204  LIFE  OF 

God. — 0  that  we  may  not  be  disappointed  in 
the  pleasing  prospect  we  have  concerning 
you!  for  nothing  in  this  world  can  give  equal 
pleasure  to  that  which  a  godly  parent  feels 
when  he  sees  his  children  called  by  divine 
grace  to  the  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ,  the 
Saviour  of  sinners.     0  take   care,  my  dear 

R ,  that  you  do  not  quench  the  Spirit  of 

grace,  by  imbibing  too  much  of  the  spirit  of 
the  world:  they  never  did,  never  can,  nor 
ever  will  agree  together.  Form  no  close 
connexion  with  any  female  friend  that  is  not 
more  spiritual  than  yourself.  Seek  to  be 
much  with  those  who  talk  about  divine  things; 
cherish  the  means  of  grace,  and  pray  daily  for 
a  lowly,  humble,  gentle,  and  affable  spirit,  that 
the  dear  relatives,  with  whom  you  now  are, 
may  rejoice  to  see  that  grace  has  made  a  hap- 
py change  in  the  whole  of  your  deportment. 
A  form  of  godliness  will  not  effect  this,  but 
the  power  of  it  felt  in  the  heart  will; — and  do 
you  never  rest  contented  till  you  feel  and  en- 
joy this  power: — it  is  an  awful  and  dangerous 
thing  to  rest  short  of  it. 

September  S,  1S02.  To-day  I  finish  my 
threescore  years.  Will  my  foolish  heart  still 
say  they  may  be  threescore  and  ten?     Per- 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  205 

haps  I  may  never  see  another  birth-day.  The 
one  is  as  likely  to  happen  as  the  other.  But 
God  has  fixed  the  day  of  my  departure  hence; 
and  my  wisdom  is,  to  be  constantly  living  in 
the  daily  expectation  of  its  approach.  Lord, 
help  me  to  do  so! 

Notwithstanding  the  rigid  economy  with 
which  Colonel  B.'s  domestic  concerns  had 
been  uniformly  conducted,  yet  the  expenses 
of  his  numerous  family,  whose  wants  were 
continually  increasing,  exceeded  his  income, 
and  unavoidably  involved  him  in  debts,  which 
he  had  no  present  means  of  discharging.  The 
amount  of  these  debts  at  the  beginning  of  the 
year  1803,  was  about  sixty  pounds.  This  cir- 
cumstance, which  he  felt  and  deplored  as  a 
heavy  affliction,  rendered  him  very  desirous 
of  future  promotion;  and  about  this  time  he 
had  some  hopes  of  obtaining  it.  But  the  re- 
tirement solicited  by  an  officer  above  him  not 
being  granted,  all  prospect  of  immediate  pro- 
motion was  at  an  end.  The  disappointment 
seemed  to  increase  the  pressure  under  which 
he  laboured;  his  only  hope  was  in  the  mercy 
of  his  heavenly  Father.  To  him  he  commit- 
ted all  his  cares,  praying  that  he  would  grant 
s- 


206  LIFE  OF 

relief  in  his  own  way.     The  same  week  his 
prayers  were  answered.     He  observes — 

February  14,  1803.  Last  week,  just  as  my 
heart  was  poring  over  the  disappointment  I 
met  with  in  my  expected  promotion,  and  an- 
ticipating all  the  miseries  of  accumulating 
debt,  a  dear  friend  of  mine  in  the  military 
profession  called  upon  me;  and  taking  me 
aside  into  a  private  room,  made  me  promise  I 
would  ask  him  no  questions:  which,  when  I 
had  done,  with  some  hesitation — he  put  a 
bank  note  into  my  hand,  saying,  he  was  de- 
sired to  give  it  to  me,  but  with  the  strongest 
injunctions  never  to  divulge  whence  it  came. 
I  put  it  in  my  pocket  without  looking  at  it, 
repeatedly  thanking  him  and  my  generous 
benefactor  for  the  very  acceptable  present. 
Dinner  being  upon  the  table,  we  went  in,  sat 
down  and  dined;  my  mind  all  the  while  occu- 
pied about  which  of  my  creditors  I  should  pay 
off  first,  imagining  I  had  perhaps  a  ten  or 
twenty  pound  note,  which  I  longed  to  look  at, 
but  was  ashamed  to  do  it  before  my  friend. 
Soon  after  dinner  I  took  an  opportunity  to 
step  out  of  the  room  to  satisfy  my  anxious  cu- 
riosity. But  oh!  how  my  heart  was  filled 
with   grateful   emotions  when   I   found   two 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  207 

notes,  one  of  five  and  the  other  of  a  hundred 
pounds; — a  present  of  one  hundred  guineas! 
To  attempt  a  description  of  my  feelings  at 
this  time,  would  be  in  vain:  those  who  have 
experienced  the  overflowings  of  a  grateful 
heart  can  only  guess  at  them.  I  was  so  over- 
come with  a  view  of  the  Lord's  goodness,  that 
I  knew  not  how  to  express  myself,  and  was 
afraid  my  friend  would  think  me  insensible 
of  the  favour  bestowed.  When  he  was  gone, 
and  I  had  communicated  the  purport  of  my 
visit  to  Mrs.  B.,  we  both  wept,  and  in  broken 
accents,  with  eyes  and  hearts  directed  to  Hea- 
ven, expressed  our  obligation  to  the  God  of  all 
our  mercies,  for  this  seasonable  and  ample 
supply,  in  answer  to  our  united  and  repeated 
prayers.  I  have  now  enjoyed  the  pleasure  of 
paying  all  my  debts,  of  contributing  to  the  re- 
lief of  others,  and  of  purchasing  many  articles 
absolutely  necessary  in  the  family.  Oh  how 
good  the  Lord  has  been  to  us,  unworthy  as 
we  are  of  the  least  of  all  his  mercies ! 

The  principle  of  true  piety  which  divine 
grace  had  implanted  in  the  heart  of  Colonel 
B.,  would  not  allow  him  to  be  an  unconcern- 
ed spectator  of  any  thing  passing  around  him, 
that  would  affect  the  moral  and  religious  in- 


208  LIFE  OF 

terests  of  his  fellow-men.  The  societies  form- 
ed by  good  men  of  various  communions  for 
the  evangelization  of  the  world,  interested  all 
his  Christian  feelings,  and  called  forth  his 
most  fervent  wishes  and  constant  prayers. 
Nor  was  he  content  with  approving  of  their 
objects  and  praying  for  the  success  of  their  ef- 
forts: he  felt  an  ambition  to  be  himself  a  la- 
bourer in  the  same  noble  cause,  and  to  contri- 
bute by  all  the  means  in  his  power  towards 
the  promotion  of  the  plans  of  Christian  bene- 
volence. Among  other  institutions,  the  Reli- 
gious Tract  Society  appears  to  have  attracted 
his  particular  attention.  He  added  one  to  the 
number  of  their  tracts:  it  is  written  in  a  very 
plain  and  familiar  style,  well  adapted  to  the 
class  of  readers  for  whose  use  it  was  design- 
ed the  title  is — "  Two  Dialogues  between  a 
Corporal  and  a  Private  Soldier."  Humble 
as  this  little  production  may  be  deemed,  ac- 
cording to  the  gradations  of  literary  merit,  it 
has  received  an  honour  to  which  many  ela- 
borate theological  writers  may  in  vain  aspire. 
At  a  subsequent  annual  meeting  of  that  So- 
ciety, its  friends  were  gratified  with  the  infor- 
mation that  this  tract  had  been  eminently  use- 
ful to  a  poor  soldier;  who  by  the  divine  bless- 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  209 

ing  on  its  perusal,  had  been  reclaimed  from 
his  sinful  courses,  made  acquainted  with  the 
way  of  salvation,  and  brought  to  walk  in  the 
paths  of  righteousness.  If  this  should  be  the 
only  instance  of  spiritual  benefit  ever  derived 
from  a  perusal  of  these  dialogues,  it  was  a  rich 
reward  for  the  author.  So  he  esteemed  it: 
he  heard  the  relation  of  the  circumstance  with 
emotions  which  were  expressed  in  tears  of  joy 
more  forcible  than  any  words.  To  be  the 
writer  of  a  tract  which  converts  one  sinner 
from  the  error  of  his  way,  and  thus  saves  a 
soul  from  the  second  death,  confers  a  name  as 
far  above  every  name  of  literary  distinction, 
as  heaven  is  superior  to  earth,  or  eternity  to 
time. 

But  we  return  to  the  journal: — 

September  1.  Within  the  last  three  months 
greater  and  more  unexpected  changes  have 
taken  place  in  my  situation,  than  at  any  for- 
mer period;  and,  what  loudly  calls  for  the 
warmest  gratitude,  they  are  all  favourable, 
undeserving  as  I  am  of  so  much  kind  atten- 
tion from  the  hands  of  a  gracious  God,  who 
constrains  me  by  his  goodness  to  call  him  my 
God  and  Father.  A  great  promotion  of  field- 
officers  being  expected  in  June,  which  would 
s2 


210  LIFE  OF 

of  course  make  me  a  lieutenant-colonel  in  the 
corps;  I  applied  to  all  my  friends  at  the  Ad- 
miralty to  get  me  appointed  to  Chatham;  and 
•  they  assured  me  it  should  be  done.  But  to 
my  great  surprise,  when  the  promotion  came 
out,  I  was  appointed  to  Plymouth.  This 
seemed  to  plunge  me  into  many  difficulties 
and  great  expense;  but  I  was  not  left  to  mur- 
mur long:  for  next  day  an  order  came  for  six 
field-officers,  from  Plymouth  division  only,  to 
superintend  the  recruiting  districts;  and  I, 
being  a  senior  officer  at  that  division,  of  course 
was  one  of  the  number.  Now  I  saw  clearly 
the  goodness  of  God  in  sending  me  to  Ply- 
mouth contrary  to  my  prayers;  for,  if  he  had 
not,  I  should  not  have  got  this  appointment, 
which  adds  a  guinea  a-day  to  my  pay,  with 
travelling  expenses;  and  if  he  should  spare 
me  to  enjoy  it  any  time,  it  will  be  the  means 
of  extricating  me  from  all  pecuniary  embar- 
rassments. On  the  1st  of  June,  an  order  came 
for  me  to  repair  to  Cambridge,  as  inspecting 
field-officer  in  that  district,  taking  under  my 
command  the  recruiting  officers  in  Suffolk, 
Norfolk,  Northamptonshire,  Bedfordshire, 
Huntingdonshire,  Cambridgeshire,  and  Rut- 
land.    On  ihe  4th,  I  left  home  and  went  to 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  211 

London;  where,  having  soon  settled  money- 
matters  with  the  paymaster,  I  arrived  next 
day  at  this  place  (Cambridge),  a  perfect 
stranger  to  every  creature  in  it.  About  the 
middle  of  August,  I  removed  my  family  from 
Strood,  having  with  great  difficulty  procured 
a  house  in  Cambridge,  where  we  now  com- 
fortably reside.  The  loss  sustained  in  parting 
with  our  furniture  at  Strood,  the  expense  of 
travelling,  and  the  greater  expense  of  furnish- 
ing an  empty  house,  have  thrown  us  consi- 
derably behind-hand ;  but  if  the  Lord  is  pleased 
to  spare  us  and  keep  us  any  time  here,  with 
his  blessing  we  shall  get  above  all  incum- 
brances. But,  0  my  soul,  rest  not  content 
with  these  temporal  blessings.  Look  higher, 
and  give  all  diligence  to  obtain  a  full  assurance 
of  interest  in  the  great  and  finished  work  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  This,  and  this  only, 
can  make  happy  in  time,  in  death,  and  to  all 
eternity. — I  can  ha^e  but  very  few  more  days 
to  live  on  earth.  0  my  God  and  Saviour, 
may  they  be  blessed  with  a  full  assurance  of 
faith  unto  the  end,  that  I  shall  spend  an  eter- 
nity with  thee  in  heaven. 

December  31.     This  year  has  to  me  been 
full  of  wonders  and  striking  displays  of  divine 


212  LIFE  OF 

providence.  It  began  with  one  of  a  most  ac- 
ceptable nature,  and  is  now  closing  with  ano- 
ther. The  first  lord  of  the  Admiralty,  in  a 
very  unexpected  manner,  has  put  the  five  se- 
nior officers  at  the  head  of  the  corps,  on  the 
retired  list,  and  promoted  five  others  in  their 
room;  which  just  brings  me  in  to  be  second 
colonel-commandant,  and,  to  my  great  joy, 
once  more  placed  at  Chatham,  before  I  knew 
any  thing  of  the  promotion.  In  all  probability 
I  shall  in  a  few  days  lose  my  lucrative  employ 
at  Cambridge,  and  remove  to  one  much  less 
so;  but  as  it  is  a  permanent  situation,  and  far 
preferable  to  what  I  enjoyed  when  last  at 
Chatham,  I  ought  to  be  truly  thankful  for  it; 
especially  as,  in  case  of  my  dying  first,  my 
widow  will  now  be  entitled  to  three  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars  annually.  We  had  just 
formed  an  agreeable  acquaintance  at  Cam- 
bridge: and,  without  rightly  considering  the 
uncertainty  of  all  earthly  enjoyments,  were 
promising  ourselves  a  great  deal  of  satisfaction 
among  them.  But  these  and  other  delightful 
things,  however  rational  to  expect,  are  entirely 
fled  with  the  fleeting  year.  Lord  give  me 
more  permanent  enjoyments  in  a  better  world, 
for  Christ's  sake! 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  213 

Early  in  the  next  year  Colonel  B.  removed 
to  his  new  appointment  at  Chatham.  The  ex- 
penses of  two  removals,  losses  by  two  sales 
of  furniture,  and  furnishing  two  houses,  within 
six  months,  involved  him  in  new  debts;  which, 
though  they  did  not  much  exceed  a  hundred 
pounds,  yet  formed  a  constant  drawback  on 
all  his  comforts.  He  endeavoured  to  console 
himself  with  a  reflection  worthy  of  a  Chris- 
tian; resolving  all  into  the  divine  allotments, 
and  confiding  for  the  future  in  the  divine 
goodness.  He  said,  "  God  will  not  suffer  us 
to  be  rich  in  this  world's  goods ;  but  surely, 
from  the  last  year's  experience,  we  ought  ne- 
ver to  doubt  of  his  readiness  to  supply  our 
every  want."  When  we  state,  that  up  to  this 
period,  the  sixty-second  year  of  his  age,  his 
income  had  not  regularly  amounted  to  two 
hundred  and  sixty  pounds  a-year,  it  cannot  fail 
to  excite  the  surprise  of  every  reader,  how, 
with  a  family  of  ten  children,  and  with  the 
strictest  economy,  he  could  have  avoided 
much  greater  incumbrances. 

In  the  summer  of  1805,  Colonel  B.  was  call- 
ed to  part  with  one  of  his  infant  children,  "  a 
sweet  little  girl,"  he  says,  "  of  two  years  and 
three  months  old.     She  had  so  entwined  her- 


214  LIFE  OF 

self  about  my  heart,  that  separation  proved 
bitter  indeed. — Oh  the  precious  word  of  God ! 
I  love  it  more  than  ever.  Life  and  immor- 
tality are  brought  to  light  by  the  gospel.  There 
is  the  immateriality  and  immortality  of  the 
soul  fully  demonstrated.  If  it  were  not  so, 
where  is  the  use  of  moral  rectitude?  What 
need  was  there  for  a  Saviour?  He  does  not 
deliver  his  followers  from  the  evils  of  this 
life:  and  if  there  be  no  hereafter,  why  did  he 
bleed  and  die?  All  the  perfections  of  the  un- 
changeable I  AM,  are  engaged  to  secure  the 
immortality  of  his  redeemed." 

Colonel  B.'s  affection  for  his  children  was 
that  of  a  Christian  parent ;  not  limited  to  their 
condition  in  the  present  life,  but  regarding 
their  highest  interest  as  heirs  of  an  immortal 
existence.  The  evidences  of  piety  which 
some  of  them  exhibited  could  not  but  afford 
him  the  most  exquisite  pleasure.  He  writes — 

December,  1805.  Last  Friday  my  two  eld- 
est daughters  were  received  into  the  church  of 
Christ  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Slatterie,  and  yesterday  were  admitted, 
for  the  first  time,  to  the  Lord's  table;  where 
I  have  every  reason  to  believe  they  were  wel- 
come guests,  as  being  savingly  united  by  faith 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  215 

to  Christ  their  living  head. — Oh  the  consola- 
tion flowing  from  such  a  scene  as  this!  What 
a  mercy,  to  behold  two,  so  dear  to  me,  snatch- 
ed from  destruction,  and  preparing  for  eternal 
bliss!  0  that  I  could  be  sufficiently  thankful! 
Lord,  accept  my  feeble  praise;  and  uphold 
them  and  me  from  falling;  and  let  my  other 
children  also  find  favour  in  thy  sight. 

The  same  lively  gratitude  to  his  God,  and 
pious  affection  for  his  children,  appears  in  the 
following  extracts  of  letters  written  to  one  of 
his  sons. 

"  Of  all  the  pleasures,  joys,  and  gratifications 
that  ever  I  enjoyed,  none  ever  gave  me  so 
much  delight  as  when  I  had  good  reason  to 
conclude  that  your  two  sisters  and  yourself 
were  savingly  united  to  Jesus  Christ.  The 
more  I  think  of  it,  the  more  I  stand  astonished 
at  the  Lord's  goodness,  and  rejoice  in  his 
amazing  love.  When  I  am  overwhelmed  and 
perplexed  with  domestic  cares,  goaded  with 
foreboding,  unbelieving  fears,  and  pecuniary 
embarrassments,  I  look  with  gratitude  to  Hea- 
ven, on  my  converted  children,  and  instantly 
the  whole  of  my  troubles  vanish,  and  my  hap- 
py heart  cheerfully  sings,  All's  well." 

On  the  20th   of   April,   1808,   he  writes: 


216  LIFE  OF 

"From  the  easy,  uniform,  uninteresting  life 
which  I  am  now  called  in  Providence  to  lead, 
seldom  any  thing  occurs  sufficiently  important 
to  be  recorded:  and  the  feelings  of  my  mind, 
in  a  religious  point  of  view,  being  much  the 
same  from  one  end  of  the  month  to  the  other, 
I  feel  but  little  desh^e  to  commit  my  Christian 
experience  to  writing.  Added  to  this,  a  pain- 
ful habit  of  indolence  creeping  upon  me  with 
old  age,  will  probably  make  the  future  relation 
of  my  experience  very  short  indeed." 

This  period  of  his  life  was  not,  however, 
spent  in  vain;  his  diligence  in  promoting  Sun- 
day Schools  and  every  other  good  work  was 
not  abated  by  the  infirmities  of  age;  whilst 
the  consistent  example  of  Christian  piety 
which  he  exhibited,  his  affectionate  concern 
for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  others,  and  his  edi- 
fying conversation,  were  very  useful  in  con- 
firming the  minds  of  several  young  Christians, 
with  whom  he  became  acquainted,  in  the  faith 
and  hope  of  the  gospel. 

About  midsummer,  180S,  there  was  some 
reason  to  expect  a  promotion  among  the  senior 
officers  of  the  corps;  which  would  include 
Colonel  B.  and  make  a  considerable  addition 
to  his  income.     This  prospect  inspired  him 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  217 

with  the  hope  of  speedy  relief  from  the  pe- 
cuniary difficulties  under  which  he  still  la- 
boured; and  he  felt  not  a  little  anxiety  for  its 
accomplishment.  "  It  is  not,"  said  he,  '-  an 
ambition  to  rise,  I  hope,  that  makes  me  wish 
for  promotion;  but  an  anxious  desire  to  be  in 
a  way  to  pay  my  just  debts."  But  the  ex- 
pected promotion  did  not  take  place.  He  re- 
fers to  the  disappointment  in  his  reflections  on 
his  next  birth-day. 

"Sept.  8,  1808.  To-day  I  complete  my 
sixty-sixth  year.  Let  me  forget  my  late  dis- 
appointment, and  turn  to  the  bright  sight  of 
my  lot,  and  contemplate  what  the  Lord  has 
done  for  me  above  thousands  around  me.  I 
am  the  only  one  left  of  a  numerous  family, 
and  have  attained  to  a  greater  age,  I  believe, 
than  either  of  my  parents.  Is  not  this  a  mercy? 
Why  should  I  be  thus  distinguished,  permit- 
ted to  live  so  long  on  the  earth ;  enjoying,  as 
I  now  do,  a  tolerable  state  of  health?  The 
Lord  has  blessed  me  with  an  affectionate  wife, 
with  whom  I  walk  comfortably  in  the  narrow 
path  to  glory.  He  hath  given  us  a  numerous 
family  of  children;  some  are  in  heaven,  and 
ten  are  still  living:  the  four  eldest,  I  have 
reason  to  conclude,  are  children  of  God  by 

T 


218  LIFE  OF 

adoption  and  grace.  Where  is  the  family  in 
these  towns,  so  highly  favoured  as  mine? — 
Do  I  enjoy  a  good  hope  through  grace,  full  of 
a  glorious  immortality,  and  can  I  be  over  so- 
licitous about  the  trash  of  this  world?  Lord! 
wean  me  from  earth,  which  I  must  shortly 
leave;  and  draw  my  attention  and  affections 
towards  heavenly  objects,  that  I  may  live 
more  to  thy  glory,  and  be  ready,  at  thy  call, 
to  enter  into  that  rest  which  I  humbly  trust 
thou  hast  prepared  even  for  worthless  me.  0 
for  more  of  that  faith  which  worketh  by  love 
and  overcometh  the  world !  Then  would  my 
heart  be  filled  with  joy  and  peace  in  believing, 
and  the  God  of  all  my  mercies  be  glorified. 

The  disappointment  which  Colonel  B.  ex- 
perienced in  not  obtaining  promotion  when 
he  had  reason  to  expect  it,  served  to  heighten 
the  pleasure  of  the  acquisition  when  it  was 
unexpectedly  conferred  upon  him.  Before 
the  end  of  the  year  the  Colonel-commandant 
at  Woolwich  was  dismissed  upon  half-pay, 
and  Colonel  B.  was  appointed  to  succeed  him. 
He  writes — 

November  10.  This  day  I  am  ordered  by  the 
Admiralty  to  take  the  command  of  the  Wool- 
wich division.     Thus  hath  the  Lord,  in  his 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  219 

own  good  time  and  way,  provided  the  means 
of  my  getting  clear  of  all  pecuniary  embar- 
rassments, should  it  be  his  blessed  will  to 
spare  me  a  little  longer;  for,  though  I  must 
be  at  great  expense  in  removing,  and  much 
greater  in  my  present  situation  as  command- 
ing-officer; yet  my  pay  being  much  greater 
than  before,  I  make  no  doubt,  but  with  God's 
blessing,  I  shall  be  able  to  pay  all  my  debts  in 
the  course  of  twelve  or  fourteen  months. 

Colonel  B.  entered  without  delay  on  his 
new  command,  and  as  soon  as  he  could  pro- 
cure a  suitable  house,  removed  all  his  family 
to  Woolwich.  There,  in  the  regular  discharge 
of  his  official  duties,  he  passed  day  after  day, 
and  month  after  month,  with  no  greater  va- 
riety of  incident  than  he  had  experienced  at 
Chatham;  but  by  a  deportment  equally  be- 
coming a  soldier  and  a  Christian,  ensuring  the 
respect  and  winning  the  affection  of  all  around 
him.     He  observes — 

June  6,  1S09.  Nothing  of  any  consequence 
in  my  situation  has  occurred  lately,  but  ample 
cause  for  gratitude  and  praise  to  the  God  of  all 
my  mercies,  for  the  blessings  I  enjoy  as  head 
of  a  family,  and  as  having  under  me  a  num- 
ber of  officers  and  men,  who,  I  have  reason  to 


220  LIFE  OF 

believe,  are  perfectly  satisfied  with  my  eon- 
duct  towards  them.  I  had  an  instance  of  this 
yesterday,  in  celebrating  the  king's  birth-day, 
when  some  tokens  of  respect  and  honour  were 
shown  me,  which  I  had  no  reason  to  expect. 
I  have  always  endeavoured  to  make  them  hap- 
py, by  granting  every  indulgence  the  service 
would  admit  of:  and  they  seem  to  be  sensible 
of  it. 

February  28,  1810.  The  last  and  present 
months  have  been,  as  usual,  months  of  sick- 
ness, pain,  and  debility:  yet  I  have  reason  to 
bless  God,  that  though  my  poor  crazy  frame 
is  much  shattered  by  these  annual  shocks,  it 
still  holds  together,  and  I  am  able  to  execute 
the  duties  of  the  station  where  God  in  his 
mercy  hath  placed  me.  But  I  cannot  expect 
to  do  this  long:  every  winter  brings  me  nearer 
the  closing  scene.  May  the  Lord  in  mercy 
prepare  me  for  it. 

The  following  letter  will  unfold  more  fully 
to  the  reader  the  state  of  General  B.'s  mind. 

Woolwich,  1th  June,  1810. 

My  dear  C. — I  am  now  an  old  man,  at  the 

close  of  my  race,  standing  on  the  brink  of  the 

grave,    looking   with   solemn   awe    into   the 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  221 

boundless  prospects  of  an  eternal  world;  and 
you  are  just  entering  upon  one,  fallacious,  de- 
lusive, and  transitory.  I  have  hitherto  passed 
through  it  safe  (thank  God!),  and  of  course 
am  qualified,  from  long  experience,  and  as  a 
parent  and  friend,  to  give  you  some  salutary 
advice,  faithful  warning,  and  seasonable  in- 
struction, to  guide  you  safe  (through  divine 
assistance)  to  the  end  of  your  journey.  I 
would  not  have  you,  for  a  moment,  indulge 
the  thought  that  you  will  live  to  my  age; 
there  is  a  thousand  to  one  against  you  for 
this.  But  let  the  journey  through  life  be  cur- 
tailed or  prolonged,  an  end  must  come  at  last; 
and  what  will  then  be  most  desirable  when 
death  is  just  ready  to  strike  the  irreversible 
blow?  Surely,  whatever  that  is,  it  ought  to 
be  sought  after  and  secured,  above  all  other 
things.  And  nothing  but  a  well-grounded 
hope  of  an  interest  in  Jesus  Christ,  can  then 
be  of  any  use  to  support  the  sinking  soul:  all 
other  props  will  surely  fail. — Let  me  then, 
my  dear  C,  earnestly  beseech  you,  with  that 
anxious  solicitude  which  an  affectionate  father 
alone  can  feel,  to  seek  first  of  all  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  and  God's  righteousness,  and  the  lip 
of  eternal  truth  hath  promised  that  every 
T  2 


222  LIFE  OF 

thing  else  needful  for  your  journey  through 
life  will  be  granted:  not  perhaps  what  you 
may  wish  or  expect,  but  what  infinite  wisdom 
shall  deem  best  for  your  real  welfare.  Were 
I  to  preach  to  you  for  years,  I  could  give  you 
no  better  advice  than  the  above,  for  it  contains 
every  thing.  If  once,  through  sovereign  grace, 
you  become  united  to  Jesus  Christ  as  the  only 
Saviour  of  perishing  sinners,  your  salvation  is 
secure.  Trials,  difficulties,  temptations,  fears, 
and  doubts,  you  will  encounter;  but  his  grace 
is  promised  to  be  sufficient  for  you,  and  to 
make  you  more  than  conqueror  over  them  all. 
I  would  fain  hope,  from  what  I  have  seen 
and  heard,  that  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  has 
been  at  work  on  your  mind.  0  beware  of  re- 
sisting his  gracious  influences,  and  cherish 
every  desire  that  tends  heavenward.  Be  much 
in  secret  prayer  for  direction  from  above, 
and  embrace  every  opportunity  of  instructing 
yourself  in  the  knowledge  of  divine  things, 
and  never  forget  that  you  are  but  a  pilgrim 
and  stranger  in  this  world,  travelling  post-haste 
to  an  eternal  state. — My  prayers  for  your  pre- 
sent and  eternal  welfare  shall  never  be  want- 
ing. 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  223 

That  the  Lord  may  bless  my  dear  C —  with 
his  saving  grace,  is  the  fervent  prayer  of 

Your  affectionate  father. 

On  the  25th  of  July,  1810,  Colonel  B.  ob- 
tained the  rank  of  major-general  in  the  army; 
a  promotion  not  attended  with  any  additional 
emolument.  But  whatever  gratification  he 
may  have  derived  from  this  honour,  was  far 
exceeded  by  the  satisfaction  he  enjoyed  in  the 
discharge  of  all  his  pecuniary  obligations, 
which  had  long  been  an  object  of  his  strenuous 
exertions  and  fervent  prayers,  and  which  he 
was  enabled  to  accomplish  in  the  course  of 
this  year. 

In  the  autumn  he  had  a  severe  fit  of  illness, 
his  recovery  from  which  he  regarded  as  a 
merciful  dispensation  of  Providence  towards 
his  numerous  and  young  family,  which  on  their 
account  demanded  his  peculiar  gratitude.  In 
reference  to  his  feelings  and  views  under  this 
visitation  of  the  Almighty,  he  says:  "In  these 
trying  moments  the  soul  is  called  upon  to 
prepare  for  death;  but  if  it  has  not  been  pre- 
pared before,  it  has  chosen  the  very  worst  pe- 
riod to  think  of  such  a  vast  concern.  Who 
can  reflect  with  composure,  when  pain  tor- 


224  LIFE  OF 

ments  the  body  and  fever  depresses  the  spirits? 
If  I  was  not  prepared  to  die  nearly  forty  years 
ago,  I  never  shall  be.  Then  my  only  hope 
and  sole  dependence  was  on  Jesus  Christ  and 
his  finished  salvation,  his  atoning  blood  and 
perfect  righteousness:  and  so  it  is  at  this  mo- 
ment; and  so  I  hope  it  will  be  when  God 
shall  be  pleased  to  call  me  hence.  If  he  is 
pleased  to  smile  upon  me,  a  poor  sinner,  in 
my  dying  moments,  I  will  bless  his  name:  if 
not,  I  will  cling  to  the  rock  of  ages,  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

General  Burn's  reflections  on  the  com- 
mencement of  the  next  year  cannot  be  pe- 
rused without  touching  the  finer  sympathies 
of  every  feeling  heart. 

January  1,  1811.  Heart  and  flesh  begin  to 
fail,  and  I  can  no  longer  enter  into  active  life 
as  I  used  to  do.  The  grasshopper  is  a  burden; 
and  an  indolent,  drowsy  habit,  daily  increases 
upon  me.  If  the  Spirit  at  any  time  is  willing, 
the  flesh  is  always  weak  and  backward.  I  try 
to  think  on  heaven  and  eternal  things,  pray- 
ing daily  that  I  may  long  to  be  with  Jesus; 
but  after  all,  I  cannot  wholly  overcome  the 
dread  of  dissolution.     Lord  Jesus!    increase 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  225 

my  faith,  and  give  me  grace  to  trust  in  thee 
when  I  come  to  grapple  with  death. 

In  the  spring  of  1812,  General  Burn  wrote 
and  published  a  small  pamphlet,  entitled  the 
"Resurrection  of  the  Two  Witnesses,  exhibit- 
ed in  the  Formation  and  Great  Success  of  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society:  being  a 
Paraphrase  on  the  Eleventh  Chapter  of  the 
Revelations.     In  a  letter  to  a  friend." 

Amidst  all  his  infirmities  of  body  and  anx- 
ieties of  mind,  however,  General  B.  appears, 
with  growing  years,  to  have  been  growing  in 
grace,  and  quietly  waiting  for  his  dismission 
from  the  present  state  and  introduction  to  the 
blissful  presence  of  his  God  and  Saviour. 

On  the  8th  of  September,  1813,  he  says: — 
"Who  could  have  thought  some  years  ago, 
that  I  should  live  to  the  age  of  seventy-one, 
at  which  I  arrive  this  day.  It  is  true  I  am 
not  well ;  nor  have  I  been  so  for  some  time: 
but  I  bless  God,  his  chastising  rod  has  been 
sanctified  to  me;  I  have  seen  the  necessity  of 
it,  and  felt  the  salutary  effects  it  has  produced. 
The  Lord's  judgments  and  his  mercies  have 
been  truly  and  equally  blessed  to  me.  0  that 
I  had  a  heart  truly  sensible  of  so  much  un- 
merited goodness !     Lord  grant  it. 


226  LIFE  OF 

The  last  event  mentioned  in  General  B.'s 
journal,  is  his  retirement  from  all  military 
duty. 

May  10th,  1814.  The  Board  of  Admiralty, 
on  the  prospect  of  a  long  continued  peace, 
being  determined  to  reduce  a  great  part  of  the 
Royal  Marine  Corps,  have  begun  with  the 
head;  and  ordered  the  four  senior  officers  to 
retire  on  their  full  pay;  depriving  them  of  all 
their  emoluments;  which  to  me,  commanding 
this  division,  is  a  loss  of  full  thirteen  hundred 
dollars  a  year. 

HIS  LAST  DAYS. 

In  consequence  of  this  diminution  of  in- 
come, the  general  found  it  expedient  to  quit 
Woolwich,  where  he  had  resided  nearly  five 
years.  In  the  course  of  a  fortnight  he  met 
with  a  suitable  house  at  Gillingham,  (a  plea- 
sant village  near  Chatham,)  which  he  took, 
and  to  which  he  removed  with  his  family 
early  in  the  month  of  July  following. 

This  was  a  situation  where  he  could  enjoy 
complete  retirement,  and  was,  therefore,  well 
suited  to  preparation  for  the  solemn  period 
when  he  was  to  remove  from  the  seen  to  the 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  227 

unseen  world.  To  this  period  he  had  been 
looking  forward  for  several  years,  with  all  the 
anxiety  and  deep  seriousness  which  its  im- 
portance demands  from  every  rational  being. 
Owing  to  a  considerable  degree  of  deafness 
in  his  later  years,  which  prevented  his  dis- 
tinctly hearing  the  subjects  of  conversation, 
he  became  habitually  silent: — difficulty  of 
hearing,  however,  was  not  the  only  occasion 
of  his  silence;  from  sentences  which  inciden- 
tally escaped  him,  and  from  the  peculiar  ex- 
pression of  his  countenance,  it  evidently  ap- 
peared that  he  regarded  himself  as  walking 
along  the  awful  shores  of  eternity,  and  that 
he  was  striving  by  the  eye  of  faith  to  pierce 
through  the  intervening  shades,  and  by  self- 
examination  to  learn  his  fitness  for  the  glories 
of  heaven.  This  interesting  employment  en- 
grossed his  thoughts,  and  its  solemnity  made 
him  silent.  His  w^ife  and  children,  w^ho  watch- 
ed his  countenance,  and  knew  that  something 
important  was  passing  within,  often  wished 
this  silence  were  broken,  that  they  might  hear 
from  his  own  lips  what  God  was  doing  for  his 
soul.  Their  desires,  however,  were  not  often 
realized  in  the  way  of  conversation ;  but  in 
the  family  devotions,  when  he  was  accustom- 


^28  LIFE  OF 

ed,  as  the  priest  of  his  household,  to  pour  out 
the  desires  of  his  heart  before  God,  they  often 
learned  the  state  of  his  mind; — sometimes  awed 
at  the  prospect  of  death;  at  others  filled  with 
the  peace  of  God  which  passeth  all  under- 
standing. 

It  is  not  intended  by  these  remarks  to  con- 
vey any  idea  that  gloominess  was  predominant 
in  General  B/s  character;  or  that  domestic 
events  and  the  circumstances  of  his  friends 
and  of  the  neighbourhood  passed  unheeded  by 
him.  So  far  from  this,  he  was  eminently  of  a 
social  disposition;  he  delighted  in  the  conver- 
sation of  his  friends;  he  took  an  affectionate 
interest  in  all  their  concerns;  and  by  his 
meekness  and  amiable  disposition,  was  pecu- 
liarly successful  in  winning  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  young  persons,  amongst  whom 
he  did  not  fail  to  use  all  his  influence  to  en- 
courage them  to  zeal  and  perseverance  in  the 
Christian  race.  However  his  thoughtfulness 
for  his  family  and  deep  concern  about  eternity, 
might  at  times  cast  a  gloom  over  his  counte- 
nance, and  abstract  his  mind  from  what  was 
passing  around;  yet  he  often  excited  and  kept 
alive  the  cheerfulness  of  the  social  party.  Nor 
was  his  heart  a  stranger  to  those  exquisite 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.     229 

feelings,  which  are  then  most  alive,  when  a 
large  family  meet  together  in  harmony  and 
love;  when  the  sprightliness  and  vivacity  of 
youth  is  controlled  but  not  suppressed  by  the 
more  sober  joys  of  maturer  years;  and  when 
every  domestic  enjoyment  is  heightened  and 
sanctified  by  the  superior  pleasures  of  religion. 
Not  many  weeks  before  his  death,  on  a  birth- 
day occasion,  General  B.  witnessed  a  scene 
such  as  this  in  his  own  family.  He  contri- 
buted his  full  share  to  the  enjoyment  of  the 
evening,  and  by  the  benignity  of  his  counte- 
nance, and  the  cheerfulness  of  his  expressions 
coming  from,  a  full  heart,  raised  the  admira- 
tion and  delight  of  his  children,  almost  to  en- 
thusiasm. When  every  heart  was  thus  ele- 
vated and  softened,  he  seized  the  favourable 
moment  for  producing  religious  impressions, 
and,  repeating  a  hymn  of  praise  to  God  with 
something  like  seraphic  devotion,  he  called 
upon  all  his  children  to  join  in  singing  it. 

For  some  time  before,  and  during  his  resi- 
dence at  Gillingham,  Baxter's  Dying  Thoughts 
became  his  favourite  book.  Like  that  excel- 
lent man,  although  he  had  spent  a  long  life  in 
exemplary  holiness,  and  in  great  nearness  to 
God  and  heaven,  yet  doubts  and  fears  often 


230  LIFE  OF 

invaded  his  mind  in  the  prospect  of  eternity. 
Perhaps  in  General  B.  this  was  accompanied 
with  a  weakness  of  faith,  which  gave  those 
doubts  and  fears  an  undue  influence  over  his 
spiritual  comforts  and  peace  of  mind.  In  this 
weakness  of  faith  he  is  not  to  be  imitated;  but 
in  his  serious  anxiet}^  that  all  should  be  right 
with  him  in  the  next  world,  surely  his  exam- 
ple cannot  be  too  closely  copied. 

On   his  arrival  at  Gillingham,  he  marked 
out  for  himself  a  regular  plan  for  spending  his 
time,  which  was  now  all  his  own.     He  con- 
tinued his  habit  of  early  rising,  and  after  his 
own  private  devotions,  went  down  to  family 
prayers  and  breakfast;  he  then  read  his  daily 
portion  of  the  Scripture,  and  employed  him- 
self for  two  hours  afterwards  in  revising  the 
preceding  narrative  for  the  press.     Garden- 
ing,  which    had    always   been    his   favourite 
amusement,   occupied   him    till   dinner-time; 
and  when  his  family  and  endeared  friends  ob- 
served the  cheerfulness  and  the  activity  with 
which  he  pruned  his  trees,  and  superintended 
others   in   more   laborious  occupations,  they 
were  willing  to  hope  that  the  stamina  of  life 
were  still  vigorous,  and  that  God  designed  to 
bless  them  with  his  society  for  some  years 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  231 

longer.  But  the  mercies  of  Jehovah  towards 
him  were  about  to  receive  their  consummation 
by  his  removal  to  glory.  The  harvest  was 
reajDing  in  the  surrounding  fields,  and  almost 
ready  to  be  housed: — and  from  the  fields  of 
Sion,  called  by  St.  Paul  "the  husbandry  of 
God,"  this  shock  of  corn,  now  fully  ripe,  was 
about  to  be  gathered  into  the  garner  of  the 
Lord. 

But  before  we  bring  the  reader  to  the  last 
trying  scene,  it  will  be  interesting  to  mention 
some  particulars,  which  show  the  holy  feelings 
and  dispositions  of  this  advanced  Christian. 

It  has  just  been  observed  that  General  B.'s 
mind  seemed  to  be  generally  occupied  in  the 
contemplation  of  eternity,  and  in  preparing  to 
enter  it;  but  there  were  some  subjects  con- 
nected with  this  world,  which  still  dwelt  in 
his  thoughts,  and  engaged  the  warmest  affec- 
tions of  his  heart.  Amongst  these,  the  ad- 
vancement of  Christ's  kingdom  in  the  world 
was  a  subject  of  peculiar  interest.  Tears  of 
joy  would  roll  plentifully  down  his  venerable 
face,  whenever  he  heard  of  sinners  brought  to 
repentance  and  faith  in  Christ;  when  he  learn- 
ed the  success  of  Christ's  missionaries  pro- 
claiming to  the   ignorant   heathen   the   glad 


232  LIFE  OF 

news  of  salvation:  but  most  especially  did  he 
rejoice  with  feelings  of  peculiar  exultation  in 
the  general  distribution  of  the  Scriptures,  by 
means  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  So- 
ciety. The  10th  Report  of  that  admirable 
institution  was  read  to  him  the  evening  pre- 
ceding the  day  on  which  he  was  confined  to 
his  bed,  never  to  rise  from  it  again:  the  en- 
couraging nature  of  the  contents  of  the  Re- 
port, the  glorious  prospects  it  opens  of  uni- 
versal good  by  means  of  the  society,  broke 
forth  with  resplendent  light,  to  illuminate  the 
entrance  of  this  devoted  Christian  into  the 
valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  and  refreshed 
his  spirit  for  his  encounter  with  the  last  ene- 
my. 

The  maturity  of  divine  grace  in  General  B. 
became  daily  more  evident  from  his  abound- 
ing in  Christian  love  and  charity:  his  heart 
was  purged  from  every  party  feeling  which 
could  alienate  his  affections  from  Christians 
who  differed  from  him  in  matters  of  less 
moment.  The  language  of  St.  Paul  was  the 
constant  breathing  of  his  pious  mind:  "  Grace 
be  with  all  them  that  love  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  in  sincerity."  To  a  Christian  in  such 
a  state  of  mind  it  was  to  be  expected  that  the 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  233 

great  increase  of  faithful  ministers  in  the  esta- 
blished church  would  be  cause  of  unfeigned 
rejoicing:  nor  will  it  soon  be  forgotten  how 
he  received  the  officiating  minister  of  a  neigh- 
bouring church,  who  was  faithfully  and  zeal- 
ously labouring  in  the  vineyard  of  his  Lord. 

In  the  village  of  Gillingham,  there  was  a 
little  band  of  pious  men,  in  connexion  with 
the  Methodists.  Although  General  B.  differ- 
ed from  them  in  several  points  of  doctrine  and 
discipline,  yet  when  he  beheld  much  of  the 
true  spirit  of  Christianity  amongst  them,  he 
cheerfully  joined  their  social  meetings,  and 
sometimes  attended  to  hear  their  preachers. 
In  their  more  private  meetings  for  prayer,  he 
often  led  their  devotions,  to  the  great  delight 
and  profit  of  his  Christian  friends,  who  were 
comforted  and  edified  with  the  heavenly- 
mindedness,  the  holy  triumph  over  death  and 
the  grave,  which  often  animated  his  prayers. 
The  last  sermon  he  heard  was  in  their  little 
chapel,  from  Rev.  chap.  xxii.  ver.  17.  "And 
the  Spirit  and  the  Bride  say.  Come. — And  let 
him  that  heareth  say.  Come. — And  let  him 
that  is  athirst.  Come.  And  whosoever  will, 
let  him  take  the  water  of  life  freely.'^  Gene- 
ral B.  listened  to  the  discourse  with  holy  joy 


234  LIFE  OF 

beaming  in  his  countenance,  and  often  spoke 
of  it  afterwards  with  great  satisfaction.  In- 
deed, both  the  text  and  the  sermon  were  pe- 
culiarly adapted  to  prepare  his  mind  for  ap- 
proaching death. 

After  about  two  months  of  sweet  enjoyment 
in  this  retired  situation,  the  family  of  General 
B.  were  alarmed,  early  in  September,  by  the 
return  of  his  annual  complaint  at  the  fall  of 
the  year,  with  symptoms  more  dangerous 
than  usual.  This  alarm  was  much  increased 
when  the  disorder  confined  him  to  his  bed, 
and  a  considerable  degree  of  fever  began  to 
prey  on  his  frame.  But  their  endeared  rela- 
tive had  so  frequently  recovered  from  threat- 
ening indispositions,  that  they  did  not  appre- 
hend his  death  was  near,  and  were  willing  to 
hope  that,  even  from  this  unusually  severe  at- 
tack he  might  be  restored  to  their  wishes  and 
their  prayers. — How  wisely,  how  mercifully, 
is  futurity  hid  from  mortal  sight!  The  ex- 
pectation of  soon  losing  so  beloved  a  friend 
would  have  rendered  his  wife  and  children 
unfit  for  the  duties  of  the  sick  chamber. 
Those  duties  became  severely  trying  to  the 
spirits  from  the  distressing  nature  of  his  com- 
plaint:   the    fever  raged   almost   incessantly, 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.     235 

robbing  him  of  his  wonted  rest,  and  disturb- 
ing the  usual  serenity  of  his  mind.  His  asth- 
matic disease  also  became  violent,  and  contin- 
ual coughing  left  him  scarcely  an  interval  for 
repose.  It  was  a  trial  of  faith  to  see  an  aged 
Christian  suffering  such  distress  and  weariness 
as  to  prevent  a  due  attention  to  eternal  things. 
But  "God's  ways  are  not  as  our  ways;"  his 
family  were  looking  for  a  triumphant  depar- 
ture into  the  world  of  glory,  but  God  was 
pleased  to  afford  tliem  perhaps  a  more  useful 
lesson,  when  they  beheld  the  faith  of  their 
venerable  relative,  unaided  by  spiritual  joys, 
and  in  the  midst  of  extreme  suffering,  still 
fastening  on  the  Son  of  God,  the  Saviour  of 
sinners,  and  expecting  victory  over  death 
through  him.  They  were  also  brought  to  re- 
gard his  long  life  of  consistent  piety,  and  zeal- 
ous attachment  to  the  Saviour's  cause,  as  a 
firmer  basis  for  their  hopes  of  his  eternal  safe- 
ty, than  any  death-bed  sayings,  or  remarkable 
ecstasies  of  joy.  Not  that  they  were  left 
without  testimony  of  his  sincere  and  mature 
piety  in  these  last  scenes  of  his  life;  this  was 
beautifully  manifested  in  his  patience  and  en- 
tire resignation  to  the  will  of  God.  Several 
interesting  circumstances  might  be  related  to 


236  LIFE  OF 

show  that  divine  grace  was  still  in  lively  ex- 
ercise in  his  heart,  and  afforded  him  effectual 
support  under  his  sufferings. 

The  day  after  his  first  severe  attack,  on  his 
third  daughter  inquiring  how  he  felt,  he  re- 
plied, with  a  countenance  expressive  of  hum- 
ble confidence,  "  I  hope  I  shall  meet  you  in 
heaven." — And  a  few  days  after,  when  she 
again  approached  his  bed,  he  said,  "iVh!  is  it 
you,  my  love?  you  will  have  need  of  faith; 
exercise  faith."  His  own  faith  was  deeply 
exercised  at  one  period  of  his  illness.  The 
reader  will  recollect  that  the  General  had,  du- 
ring his  residence  in  France,  unhappily  im- 
bibed infidel  sentiments,  so  far  at  one  time  as  to 
doubt  the  immortality  of  the  soul.  Though 
these  sentiments  and  doubts  were  afterwards 
removed,  not  only  by  a  thorough  conviction 
of  the  truth  of  Christianity,  after  diligent  in- 
vestigation, hut  by  personal  experience  of  the 
power  of  religion  on  his  own  heart;  they 
nevertheless  did  him  lasting  injury,  and  in 
after-life  often  afforded  Satan  the  means  of 
distressing  this  holy  man.  At  one  period  of 
extreme  weakness  and  suffering  during  his 
last  illness,  the  great  enemy  of  souls  was 
permitted  to  harass  him,  by  suggesting  the 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.     237 

thought,  that  perhaps  annihilation  would  fol- 
low death.  He  mentioned  this  temptation 
to  one  of  his  children,  standing  by  the  bed- 
side; who  replied,  "  Life  and  immortality  are 
brought  to  light  by  the  gospel."  This  pas- 
sage of  Scripture  immediately  dissipated  his 
fears,  and  proved  a  shield  against  the  fiery 
darts  of  the  devil;  he  reclined  his  head  again 
on  the  pillow,  and  for  some  time  after,  his 
beaming  countenance  indicated  the  sweetest 
serenity  and  joy. 

The  Sabbath  preceding  that  on  which  he 
died,  one  of  the  family,  returning  from  public 
worship,  went  to  the  sick  chamber,  anxious  to 
hear  of  the  beloved  invalid,  who  inquired  the 
subject  of  the  minister's  sermon.  The  text 
was  repeated,  "  This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and 
worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that  Christ  Jesus 
came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners,  of  whom 
I  am  chief"  This  comprehensive  text  awak- 
ened all  his  Christian  feelings;  he  inquired 
nothing  about  the  sermon,  but  closing  his 
eyes,  appeared  to  be  feeding  on  the  pure 
word  of  God,  and  delightfully  meditating  on 
the  power  and  love  of  the  Saviour.  His  son, 
who  repeated  the  text  to  him,  longed  to  hear 


238  LIFE  OF 

him  speak;  but  his  joys  seemed  too  great  for 
utterance. 

On  Tuesday,  the  13th  of  September,  the 
General  revived  considerably,  and  the  hopes 
of  his  friends  were  excited  that  they  should 
still  be  blessed  with  his  beloved  presence. 
During  this  interval  of  ease  all  the  temporal 
concerns  of  the  family  were  settled.  This 
subject  had  been  a  source  of  great  anxiety  to 
him  for  many  of  the  latter  years  of  his  life; 
and  if  one  circumstance  more  than  another 
made  him  shrink  from  death,  it  was  the  fear 
of  leaving  his  numerous  family  destitute.  It 
is  a  delightful  instance  of  the  tender  mercy 
of  God,  and  of  the  power  of  faith,  that  this 
anxiety  was  completely  removed  during  his 
illness,  and  that  no  trace  of  it  was  left  to  dis- 
turb his  last  moments.  After  making  every 
necessary  arrangement,  and  doing  all  in  his 
power  towards  the  future  comfort  of  his  wife 
and  children,  he  commended  them  in  faith 
to  the  guardianship  of  his  God  and  Saviour, 
and  seemed  to  feel  that  they  were  safe  in  His 
hands. 

As  he  had  been  uniformly  anxious  respect- 
ing the  spiritual  welfare  of  all  his  children,  it 
was  natural  that  he  should  frequently  pray  for 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.  239 

them  on  his  dying  bed: — but  he  had  a  par- 
ticular anxiety  for  one  of  his  younger  sons, 
just  then  about  to  enter  into  the  world,  that 
he  might  be  truly  converted  to  God  before 
encountering  its  temptations  and  snares.  To 
this  beloved  child  he  had,  just  before  his  ill- 
ness, given  a  Bible,  accompanied  with  affec- 
tionate advice  and  serious  exhortation  to  be 
constant  in  its  perusal.  On  his  dying  bed  he 
sent  for  him,  and  pressing  him  by  the  hand, 
he  lifted  up  his  eyes  to  heaven,  and  earnestly 
supplicated  the  grace  of  God  to  change  his 
heart: — he  then  said  to  him,  "My  dear  boy, 
I  have  prayed  for  you,  that  you  might  be- 
come a  child  of  God."  His  feelings  were  too 
powerful  to  allow  him  to  say  more:  but  it 
was  enough:  his  prayer  was  answered:  and 
the  dear  youth  from  that  time  began,  in  good 
earnest,  to  seek  the  God  of  his  father,  and 
ever  since  has  given  evidence  that  divine 
grace  is  working  within. — "The  effectual, 
fervent  prayer  of  the  righteous  man  availeth 
much." 

In  the  course  of  his  illness.  General  B.  was 
visited  by  the  minister  in  whose  congregation 
he  had  long  worshipped,  and  in  whose  minis- 
trations  he   delighted    above   all   others,  the 


240  LIFE  OF 

Rev.  Mr.  Slatterie,  of  Chatham.  They  united 
fervently  in  prayer,  and  conversed  on  divine 
subjects,  chiefly  dwelling  on  the  glorious 
theme  of  salvation  by  a  crucified  Saviour. 
The  General  again  declared,  with  much  feel- 
ing, that  the  atoning  blood  and  justifying 
righteousness  of  Christ  were  the  sole  founda- 
tion on  which  he  built  his  hopes  of  everlast- 
ing happiness. 

On  the  Wednesday  and  Thursday  after  the 
temporary  revival  just  now  mentioned,  he 
gradually  grew  worse,  and  on  Friday  the 
fever  increased,  and  the  cough  became  so 
violent,  that  all  hopes  of  his  recovery  were 
abandoned,  and  he  himself  felt  that  his  end 
was  drawing  nigh.  The  severity  of  the  dis- 
ease entirely  prevented  any  continued  atten- 
tion to  heavenly  objects,  and  all  the  dear  suf- 
ferer could  do  was  to  pray  aloud  for  patience, 
and  a  speedy  removal  to  his  eternal  rest.  He 
at  one  time  expressed  a  desire  that,  if  it  were 
God's  will,  he  might  die  on  the  Sabbath  morn- 
ing, and  spend  that  holy  day  in  the  worship 
of  heaven.  The  disorder  continued  unabated 
throughout  Saturday,  and,  after  a  night  of  ex- 
treme suffering,  he  ceased  coughing  about 
nine  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  Sunday,  the 


MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN.     241 

18th  September.  His  friends  saw  that  the 
symptoms  of  death  were  upon  him,  and  he 
was  asked  if  he  wished  to  see  any  one  in 
particular;  he  replied,  with  much  emphasis, 
"Nobody,  nobody,  but  Jesus  Christ:  Christ 
crucified  is  the  stay  of  my  poor  soul."  These 
were  the  last  words  he  uttered:  and  at  half 
past  nine  he  gently  breathed  his  last;  accord- 
ing to  his  desire  and  prayer,  worshipping  that 
Sabbath  in  heaven! 

On  the  succeeding  Thursday  morning  the 
corpse  was  interred  in  the  church-yard  of  St. 
Margaret's,  Rochester. 

A  tablet,  with  the  following  inscription,  is 
placed  over  his  grave: 

Sacred  to  the  Memory 
of 
MAJOR  GENERAL  ANDREW  BURN, 
Born  September  8th,  1742,  at  Dundee,  in  Fifeshire: 
Died  September  18th,  1814,  at  GilHngham,  in  this  County- 
Fifty- three  years  he  served  his  King  and  Country 
as  a  Brave  and  Honourable  Officer 
in  the  Corps  of  Royal  Marines; 
Forty-three  Years  he  served  his  God, 
as  a  faithful  Soldier  of  Jesus  Christ. — 
Consistent  and  Conscientious 
In  the  Discharge  of  every  Personal  and  Relative  Duty: 
X 


242  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  BURN. 

He  was  uniformly 

Affectionate  as  a  Husband  and  a  Parent, 

Kind  as  a  Master,  Exemplary  as  an  Officer, 

Constant  and  Sympathizing  as  a  Friend, 

Humble  and  Devout  as  a  Christian: 

Ever  ascribing 

All  he  was  in  this  Life, 

and 

All  he  hoped  to  be  in  the  next, 

to  the 

Grace  of  God  in  Christ. 


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